Dragon's Rebirth
by Gesshoku2008
Summary: It has been two years since Atem's departure. The world around Seto Kaiba has moved on, but he finds himself stuck in neutral. He can't move on until he finds her, until she's finally his again. But when he finally meets his dragon woman, she's not exactly what he had expected her to be.
1. Chapter 1

It had already been two years. Sometimes he couldn't believe it. After everything he'd gone through with that group of misfits, it felt like it should be longer.

Seto Kaiba sat at his desk, located in his office at the top floor of the Kaiba Corporation building, doing what he normally never allowed himself to do… reminisce. Today marked the two year anniversary of the Pharaoh's departure and the majority of the old group was off in Egypt paying their respects.

Seto leaned back in his leather armchair to gaze up at the paneled ceiling of his office. A lot had changed since the Pharaoh left. Yugi's grandfather finally officially retired, leaving Yugi to run the Game Shop. Seto stayed in regular contact with him; usually for business. Anzu had flown to America to attend that dance school she was always dreaming about. She was currently on summer vacation. Honda had started dating Jounouchi's little sister and had moved closer to where the girl lived. Bakura had moved back with his family not long after they'd gotten back to Japan two years ago. They hadn't heard much of him since. Jounouchi, much to Seto's surprise, had paid out of pocket with the money he'd saved from various part time jobs for night courses at Domino University and managed to get a degree as a coder. Seto felt surprised when he saw Jou on the list of applicants for an open position. Now Jou was one of his best employees.

Yes, it seemed that everyone had moved on, were doing something with their lives. But what was _he_ doing? Sure his company was doing better than ever. He'd successfully adapted his systems to the new rule sets that were released by Industrial Illusions last season. His systems were fully equipped to handle the new cards and strategies they required. Plus, his designs for a possible duel academy under the Kaiba Corp name were being looked over by contractors as he sat. He had the perfect location all laid out. He'd bought the land a year ago when the thought first passed his mind. Yes, Kaiba Corporation couldn't be doing better.

But Seto Kaiba hadn't really changed at all. Personally he was still the same man he was two years ago. Much different than he was when he first got involved with Yugi and his friends, but not much more than that. Even his little brother Mokuba had changed significantly over the past two years. The boy was in high school now and was making huge strides in his personal life. Mokuba was, without a doubt, the most popular boy in his school. He was also independent. Seto often found himself missing the Mokuba that always needed him to be there, to come to his rescue. But that boy was gone. Mokuba was now more than capable of taking care of himself. He was also getting too much into girls, as Seto had discovered.

He rubbed his forehead. _I'll have to check his hiding places to make sure he hasn't brought anymore of those magazines home._ Good thing about Mokuba was that his hiding places hadn't changed since he was ten.

Girls… there was a word that had never really entered Seto's head. Mokuba had mentioned recently that Seto should relax, do something fun, even get himself a girlfriend. It wasn't that Seto didn't like girls. He very much liked girls. He could appreciate the female form every once in a while, but from a distance. He did find himself gazing at an attractive woman on the street every once in a while as his limo drove home. He did treat some of his female employees nicer than others, though not by much.

Yes, Seto liked girls. He just hadn't found _the_ girl.

"_Well how do you expect to find _the_ girl if you don't go out and look!?"_ Had been Mokuba's irritated answer a couple days ago. _"How do you expect to find her if you're cooped up in your office?"_

Seto scoffed. Mokuba wouldn't understand. He hadn't gone to that past world like the rest of them. He hadn't experienced what he had. He hadn't seen _her_.

His deck lay on his desk where it belonged. Seto reached out and drew the top card. It was one of his three Blue Eyes White Dragons.

Yes, she was the only girl for him; though the odds of finding her in this day and age were more than slim. Her soul was that of a dragon, so her soul was sealed in that tablet. There was always that hope though, the impossible hope that she exists somewhere for him to find. That she had been reborn, like he had, and was waiting for him.

Seto lifted the card to his lips thoughtfully. He could still see her face clearly in his mind. Her voice often reverberated through his ears as he lay down to sleep at night. He'd replayed the moment in his head over and over for the past two years; the moment when he got to see her face to face. Her death haunted his nightmares.

"Kisara…" he whispered, before breaking out into manic laughter.

He put his head in his empty hand. He must be going crazy, at least crazier than he thought. Loving a dead woman was crazy, right?


	2. Chapter 2

It was Friday; that one, singular, day of the week that all of his employees worked towards. Seto didn't much care for Friday's. Friday meant his office was required to close for the two following days. So whatever he couldn't force to be done during the week had to either wait until Monday or he had to continue working on it from his home office alone. The latter was less likely to happen as Mokuba had sway over a large portion of his weekends. But whatever work he could get done would get done, even if it meant staying up well past midnight.

But it wasn't the weekend quite yet. It was, as previously stated, Friday.

Seto sat in his office, looking between his itinerary and the estimates he'd just received for the construction. The amount to build the school was no issue, a drop in the bucket for how much he raked in on a daily bases, but the blueprints were his. If they weren't followed to the inch, he would find somebody else. A contractor from the construction company he'd chosen was to come in this afternoon to look over them again and _suggest_ changes. If he was going to put somebody else in charge of building the academy, he was going to make sure it was the best.

A name popped out at him as he glanced over at his schedule again, a name he hadn't seen there for over a week.

_That's right,_ he thought turning his eyes away again. _Jounouchi came back yesterday._

Since the blond had started working for him, he'd been making a habit of coming to Seto's office during his lunch hours. As annoying as Seto had found it the first few weeks, he was hesitant to admit that he'd gotten used to it. He was even more hesitant to admit that the two of them had started a very hit and miss friendship. Some afternoons were better than others. If Seto was having an exceeding bad day, he found himself taking out his frustrations on Jou; much like he used to. If the CEO's day was going well, he'd sit back and entertain the idea of listening to Jou waffle on about whatever was on his mind that day. Sometimes it was about work, others about his weekend, but most of the time about his sister.

There were times when Seto would sit there listening and wonder at how much he and the blond actually had in common. How had he not noticed? Their troubled pasts, their issues with their families, not to mention their ideals towards their siblings, though not matching up exactly, seemed to hold many startling similarities. Jou's sister seemed to be a favorite topic as of late, if only to complain behind Honda's back.

Judging from the schedule, Seto's secretary had barely been able to squeeze Jou in between a departmental meeting and his meeting with the contractor. Fifteen minutes wouldn't even cover the amount of stuff Jou would want to chatter on about after his trip, but Seto wasn't about to sacrifice an important meeting for someone he barely considered an acquaintance.

Well, perhaps acquaintance, but definitely not friend.

He reached over and picked up his phone to quickly dial his secretary.

She answered quickly. "What can I do for you, Mr. Kaiba?"

Seto wished he remembered her name. She was pretty, but not anything compared to Kisara. He didn't find her annoying, so he asked more politely then he would have anyone else. "Can you make sure there is fresh coffee and a soda in my office for Mr. Jounouchi before he arrives for our meeting?"

"Yes sir, Mr. Kaiba."

With her affirmative, he hung up without saying thank you. She should know he appreciated her work. He surely paid her enough for the point to be gotten across.

When Seto arrived back to his office from the departmental meeting a few minutes early, refreshments were already neatly placed on his desk. A steaming mug of coffee for him and an unsightly can of cola for Jou. He sat down behind his desk to organize the notes given to him from the meeting.

Right on time, just as Seto's clock turned to 12:15, his office door opened without so much as a knock or any other kind of announcement of arrival; as was Jou's way. Seto couldn't get used to the site of the blond in office garb. The dress shirt and pressed pants ensemble didn't fit with Jou's tough guy personality. But from what Seto heard through Yugi and general office chatter, Jou was doing much better since he started working for him; managing to pay off his father's debts, with plenty left over for himself. So he supposed he could look over the overall strangeness of it as long as it was doing some good.

Jounouchi let the door click closed before giving his usual greeting. "Sup, money bags!"

Seto merely grunted. "I see you're manners haven't improved over your _vacation_." He didn't bother looking up from his computer either. His fingers drumming out a steady beat on the keys.

"And you're just as irate as ever," Jou tossed back with practiced ease. The blond walked to Seto's desk and snatched up the soda that sat there. He opened it and took a large gulp.

"I trust you and the other dweebs had a _wonderful_ time."

Jou cut his eyes at him, but let the comment slide. He was aware that, as much as Seto loath to admit it, he was almost as much a part of Yugi's group of friends as Jou was, "Oh yeah, great time! It's just so _easy_ to tan while everybody's all weepy."

The rhythm of Seto's fingers faltered slightly. "I see."

"Why weren't you there anyway?" Jou fixed the brunette with an accusing glare. "You gave me off, but didn't come yourself? In fact, you didn't come last year either."

"I have a company to run."

"Didn't stop you from coming with us to see him off."

"That was a different circumstance."

"How is that different? He was your rival for a long time. You'll see him cross over but you won't go back to pay your respects?"

"I'm over it."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Drop it, Jounouchi!" Seto raised his voice, even though he wasn't truly angry.

He would never admit it, but Jou was right. It was unfair to the Pharaoh's memory that he didn't travel with the group for their yearly pilgrimage back to Egypt. It was also untrue that Seto was over Atem's crossing; another point for Jou. He'd lost the best intellectual and competitive rival he'd ever had and while Yugi had technically inherited his title, it still wasn't the same. Yugi was good, Seto didn't deny that, but there had been a unique ferocity with the way the Pharaoh had dueled that no one else could copy. Dueling wasn't the same without that presence on the other side of the field.

Seto's outburst had the desired effect. Jou dropped the subject, looking flustered and irate. He leaned against Seto's desk, quietly drinking his soda. Seto could almost see the gears turning in his head as the blond searched for a new topic of conversation. In the meantime he was thankful for the reprieve.

"So... how's Mokuba?" Yes, siblings had always been a safe topic.

"Getting worse," Seto answered with a grimace.

Jou looked over his shoulder at him curiously.

Seto sighed. "I can't seem to redirect his behavior. It's getting out of hand."

There was a second where Jou's face remained confused, until he blinked and a smirk spread across his face. "You found more of those magazines, didn't you?"

"Obviously."

Jou suppressed a laugh. "Come on Kaiba, give the kid a break. We were all teenagers once... not that long ago. We all did it!"

There was a lapse in the conversation where Seto didn't deem the other man's statement with a response.

It didn't take long for Jou to catch on. "Wait, you didn't?"

Seto stopped his typing to glare up at the blond. "We're not having this conversation."

"Come _on!_ You had to at least have snuck one dirty magazine!"

"After everything you and your little friends learned about me during that entire Noah incident, did it look like I had time for trivial things like that? My mind has always been preoccupied with more important things."

"More important than basic bodily functions?" Jou raised a brow. "Wow, no wonder you're so frigid."

"Do you want to be thrown out?" Seto growled.

"Touchy, touchy," Jou waved a dismissive hand as he turned back around to enjoy his drink. "Does explain a lot though..."

Seto's glare never wavered, even when he moved his eyes back to his work and began to type again. He was _not_ going to talk about his nonexistent sex life with this idiot.

"I have an idea. Come out with me and the guys tonight!"

Seto's fingers slipped on the keys, causing his first mistype in years. He looked up at the other man with exasperation and unmasked outrage. "Say that again."

Jounouchi sighed and looked back at him, looking as if he was the one who was the most annoyed out of the two of them. "You heard me. Seriously man, when was the last time you stepped away from your work to do something _fun_."

"Last weekend," Seto answered bluntly.

"Mokuba doesn't count. And, by the way, neither does Battle City or Grand Prix. That was basically work."

Seto furrowed his brows. It was true, he couldn't remember the last time he did something that didn't involve work or duel monsters. But even duel monsters had become a job. He barely had time to play for sport anymore. Instead of deeming Jou's question with a response, he turned back to his computer and fixed the mistake that Jou's question had caused.

"That long, huh?"

Seto paused, feeling a frustrated growl rise in his throat. "Would you drop it?" It was more of a demand than a question.

"No." Jou stated. "At least not until you swear to come out with us tonight."

Seto looked down at the clock on his computer. Jou's fifteen minutes were just about up. By the look on the blond's face, he knew it too, but wasn't eager to leave until he'd gotten what he wanted. Seto's frustration reached a new peak. He couldn't allow the mutt to cause him to be late for his meeting with the contractor.

He remembered Mokuba's words, repeated to him just a couple days ago. _How do you expect to find her if you're cooped up in your office?_ Seto felt the tenseness in his muscles relax. Mokuba was right too.

With a resigned sigh Seto said, "Fine, where?"

Jou grinned. "This place called the Dragon's Den. It's been open for a few months. Since everyone's back in town for the first time in forever and this place has been all over the radio, we decided to go there before Anzu went back to America."

"Where is it?" He hadn't heard anything about the place. Then again, he'd been basically living the life a workaholic prone hermit for the past two years.

"A renovated warehouse on the docks; I've been told you can't miss it."

_Great_, Seto found himself thinking, _a shady club in the warehouse district. What could possibly go wrong_?

But Seto's mouth said, "What time?"

"Nine o'clock."

At least it wasn't too late in the evening. He could go long enough to prove to them that he had the capability to go out and _have fun_, as Jou put it. Then he could leave at a reasonable time with the excuse that it had been a long day at the office and he wanted the rest. None of _them_ had a business to run except Yugi, and Yugi would back up his reasoning on that basis.

"Fine, I'll be there."

"Great!" Jou cheered before draining the rest of his soda. He threw it into the trash can that was placed conveniently next to Seto's desk before leaving. "See ya there, jerk face!"

After Seto's door had clicked shut again and he was once again alone, Seto rubbed his temples. If any of his other employees had deemed themselves stupid enough to call him names to his face, he would have promptly fired them. Not Jou. Honestly, he couldn't afford to fire Jou. Production had gone up since the idiot had started working for him and the moral in the coding department had greatly improved.

"I'm being blackmailed, that's what this is." Seto muttered to himself. "If I don't go on this idiotic venture, he'll quit. That's all it is."

If he kept repeating that, he'd eventually believe it. At least that's what Seto kept telling himself.

"Mr. Kaiba?" His secretary's voice said over the speaker on his desk.

"Yes?" Seto tried to sound calm and polite. He wasn't sure he succeeded.

"The contractor is here."

Seto took a moment to straighten himself; adjusting his tie, tugging his jacket straight, looking at his reflection in his computer screen to make sure his hair was right. He prided himself on always looking put together, which was saying something when comparing him to others in his age group. It had always been an easy way to garner respect from those he met that were much older than him, look better than they do. Seto's fierce business sense did the rest.

xoxo

Seto stood in front of his closet mirror that evening. The large double doors were wide open, giving a clear view into the extensive space with its own light fixture hanging from the high ceiling. The bedroom itself was conservative in its design. The walls were a soft eggshell white, accenting the light blue of the carpet. There were only a couple dressers, built from the same dark wood as the rest of the furniture. His four poster bed, generous in size, jutted out from the opposite wall, draped in deep blue cotton sheets; high thread count of course. To any normal person, the room would seem almost too empty. To Seto, it was perfect. Mokuba lay on the large bed, his homework strewn across the sheets as he watched his older brother pick an outfit for that evening. The boy was not short on comments.

"Don't wear trench coats." Mokuba threw at him as he pondered over his algebra.

Seto, who had just been reaching for his trusty white coat, stopped and turned around, "Why not?"

"Cause that's so old hat!" The teenager exclaimed, looking up. "You're actually doing something different for the first time in two years. Plus, you're gonna be turning twenty in a couple months bro, I don't think you gotta compensate anymore."

One of Seto's brows shot up. "And what exactly was I compensating for?"

"I don't know. If you want my opinion, you need a new image." Mokuba avoided his brother's skeptical look by glancing back down at his homework. "What about those jeans I got you for Christmas?"

Seto turned back to the rows of clothes. Among his neatly pressed and hung pairs of slacks in varying shades of black, white, and blue was a single pair of jeans. They weren't fancy, just plain black, but the denim stuck out like a sore thumb among the cotton. He hadn't worn them since his polite _trying on_ of them eight months back. The tags still hung limply from one of the belt loops.

"I don't…"

"I know you _don't_." Mokuba cut him off, giving him an all too familiar glare. "But you're actually doing something _different_. Why not wear something different?"

Seto sighed. He couldn't seem to win today, and that was a problem. But he took the jeans off their hanger anyway and, after ditching the slacks he had been wearing, put them on. They fit snugly around his waist and hips, the legs cutting down in a straight line to accent their length. Simple was a good word for them. There was no flair, no acid wash, no god forbidden decals; just plain black jeans that fit him like a glove. And, he had to admit, they looked good.

To go along with it he chose a different shirt. The black turtleneck he usually wore with his white coat didn't look right. He put on instead a dark blue button down that was usually saved for his three piece suits. He usually saved that particular shirt for when he was dealing with female clients, as he knew the color went well with his eyes and was accustomed to using his looks to seal certain deals if he had to. He buttoned the shirt up and tucked it into the waist band of the jeans. He chose one of his pairs of black boots to finish off the look.

Once dressed he exited the closet and stood in the doorway, arms crossed, ready to be subjected to his little brother's scrutiny.

The teen looked up and smiled. "That's better. But you still look too professional somehow…"

Seto fixed him with a questioning look, but was interrupted before he could form a remark.

"I got it!" Mokuba jumped up and off the bed and hurried over to his brother.

The boy reached up and unbuttoned the first few buttons of the shirt, revealing Seto's collarbone. With that done, he ran over to Seto's night stand to retrieve his card locket and throw it over the man's head.

"There!" Mokuba exclaimed. "Perfect!"

Seto sighed and rolled his eyes. "Good to know." He tucked the string of the locket under his collar.

"You could wear sunglasses too. That'd make you look really cool!"

Seto had to pause to give his brother an exasperated look. "Who the hell wears sunglasses at night?"

"I don't know." Mokuba shrugged. "But I think it'd still look cool."

Seto rolled his eyes again, shaking his head with a slight smile on his face. He'd never get tired of his brother's seemingly endless vat of innocence. At least, he hoped it was endless.

"You're going to pick up a girl, right?"

The question sounded innocent enough, but Seto knew better, "Mokuba."

"Alright, alright, I'll drop it for now." Mokuba threw up his hands. "Just… at least try and have fun, 'kay?"

Seto sighed with that smile again and pat his brother on the head. "I'll try."

He tried to believe that he would, but he doubted it.


	3. Chapter 3

*Hello everyone! Thank you for the wonderful comments on the first couple chapters. This is my third ever story on . If you've read my other two stories than you already kinda know what to expect from me. This one's a little different as it's basically just a romance born from my dislike of how incredibly Seto and Kisara's romance got cut, in both manga and anime.

I'll be putting up chapters when I can. I'm putting up the three chapters I have done now to keep you guys entertained until I get more written. I don't have a solid upload or writing schedule. I work nights, so that's when I get the majority of my writing done. I promise though, you stick with me and you won't regret it. Thanks a bunch!*

There had always been something about driving that Seto enjoyed. He wasn't a motor head by any stretch of the imagination. He honestly didn't care how his vehicles worked or what kept them running. He had people who were hired to do that. His focus had been and always will be on his own inventions, not someone else's.

He still enjoyed the experience of driving, however. Perhaps it was the speed and control that fed into his dominating personality. But more likely it was the freedom of it. He wasn't sitting in an office with employees vying for raises or other companies looking to put him under. He wasn't home taking care of Mokuba or at a parent teacher conference with the teacher trying to earn his favor by overly praising his brother. He wasn't trying to keep up appearances inside his car. It was one of the few places where people couldn't see him; where he felt absolutely free.

Seto pulled into the warehouse district, weaving his black sedan through row upon row of identical steel buildings. As he idled deeper, his gut started twisting with the feeling that he'd been set up for some practical joke. That this just may be a complicated plan Jounouchi had hatched to get back at the CEO for all those years of torment.

Seto grit his teeth at the implication his thoughts led to. He'd resigned himself to turning the car around and going home the first chance he got until he entered out into the waterfront section of the district.

One warehouse stood out. The doors were wide open, streaming light and color into the night. Loud noise and chatter filtered through the doorway; so loud Seto could hear it through the steel and glass of his vehicle. Over the door was a sign, illuminated by bright florescence and spreading over the length like a large banner. The words _Dragon's Den_ were illuminated in bright white, with the D's formed in the shapes of dragons eating their own tails.

Seto hit the break, perhaps harder than he meant to, throwing himself forward, but not hard enough to injure himself. He looked at the signed, brows raised. Not many knew what an Ouroboros was or what it even stood for. But looking at it, especially with what his thoughts had been pondering over lately, he couldn't help but think it held some sort of meaning. The dragon, the continuous pattern of death and rebirth, Kisara and himself.

Seto leaned back against the soft leather of his seat and closed his eyes. He tried to tell himself that it meant nothing. It was just a coincidence. Whoever owned this club probably just used the symbol because they thought it looked cool. And dragons were popular, so that would explain the name. It was all just coincidence.

Revitalized, Seto opened his eyes. Whether it was a coincidence or not, his curiosity was peaked. He maneuvered his sedan into an open spot in the makeshift parking lot. Seto got out, storing his key in the pocket of his jeans.

There were people loitering around the cars. They watched him as he passed by, some whispered, others pointed. Seto could feel their eyes on him, but he didn't much care. They were all idiots. No doubt there would be pictures in the Sunday paper. No matter. The fact that he was actually out among his peers would help his reputation instead of hurt it. Though, speaking of idiotic…

Seto spotted them as he neared the entrance. Not much had changed about the four of them over the years. Yugi was a bit taller, Anzu was hanging off his arm, Jou was a _little_ less annoying, and Honda a bit less untrusting. Seto supposed going through nearly two years of continuous hell could do that. Jou spotted him first and waved him over. Seto suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, instead adopting his customary scowl before joining them.

"There you are! Finally!" Jou exclaimed.

Yugi looked pleased as well, smiling up at Seto as if he didn't see the other man every other week. "It's good to see you out. How've you been?"

"Fantastic…" Seto's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Good to know you haven't changed any." Honda commented humorlessly before throwing an arm across Jou's shoulders. "Now come on! We've waited long enough. Let's get in there before it starts."

"Yeah, yeah!" Jounouchi cheered as Honda dragged him off.

Seto looked down at Yugi with a raised brow.

Yugi smiled awkwardly back at him. "The band that plays here has been all over the radio. They've been really looking forward to finally seeing them play live."

"That explains it." Seto grimaced, hearing the two starting to sing badly. He assumed the song was supposed to be by said band.

"I've heard the band lead actually owns this place." Anzu said excitedly as they made their way inside. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Seto only half listened, too busy observing his surroundings to care about whatever they were talking about. The club portion of the warehouse took up a little more than half of the floor plan. A large dividing wall had been built, floor to ceiling, between this side and whatever lay behind it. Along the right wall was a bar, outfitted with the usual fair and some more unusual sights. There was a black steel fridge in the corner. He watched as a bartender opened it to reveal it fully stocked with fruits, vegetables, and other healthier fair. He watched the man retrieve a few select items before returning to a blender station to mix a healthy, non-alcoholic beverage. Surprisingly enough, most of the bar was made up of mostly non-alcoholic mixtures.

Seto found himself musing that, if this place turned out well, he might consider bringing Mokuba if he ever came back.

The front portion of the club, where they now stood, was filled with scattered tables; meant for those who needed a break from dancing. Along the back wall was the stage; not huge by any stretch of the imagination, but took up enough space to comfortably fit all the instruments required to play. Seto could see the devices just over the heads of the crowd. One stood out to him. Among the drums, key board, and cacophony of instruments he honestly didn't know the names of was an electric guitar. It was painted white, with sharp edges, lines, and corners. He wasn't sure what intrigued him about the device and he found himself wondering about the owner of such a thing.

His four companions made their way to an open grouping of tables near the edge of the dance floor and Seto followed. He took a seat and let his mind wander back to listen to their conversation just in time.

"What do you want to drink, Kaiba?"

Seto looked up to see Jou waiting. His answer was quick, "Seltzer water."

Jou rolled his eyes before taking his other friends orders and hurrying off to the bar to get their drinks. The conversation continued without him.

"So you're not kidding, you actually saw her?" Honda turned wide eyes to Yugi.

"Yeah, I was sitting in the shop when she just… walked in! You wouldn't believe it; I was reading the article about them when it happened, the one with her picture on the cover." Yugi explained enthusiastically.

"What'd she come in for?" Anzu asked.

"Said she was looking for a birthday present," Yugi answered thoughtfully.

Honda's voice dropped an octave, as if he didn't want his next question to be overhead, not even by Seto. "So you were telling the truth? Does she really look like… _you know_?"

"Honda!" Anzu hissed and Seto saw her eyes flicker over to him.

Seto couldn't help himself. It was far too easy. He turned his full attention to them and smirked. "Looked like who?"

The three froze and stared back at him, as if they didn't expect to be caught.

Honda stammered, "Uh… ah… n-no one."

"Sounded like someone to me." Seto had them. The phrase 'caught with their hands in the cookie jar´ came to mind, though he wasn't sure why. "From the context, I'd guess you were discussing this band lead you mentioned earlier, or at least someone from the band."

The guilty looks on their faces betrayed them.

"So, who does she look like?" Seto pressed, his curiosity seeping into his voice.

Honda stiffened his posture. "Told ya, she looks like nobody," he said as Jounouchi returned, his arms laden down with refreshments.

The blond looked around at them, confused at the tense atmosphere. "Did I miss something?"

"Nah," Yugi reached for his drink and determinedly changed the subject.

Seto let his mind wander again, uninterested in the new topic of conversation. He sipped his seltzer water and scanned the crowd, noting that they were all about his age, maybe a few that were younger. It was definitely an underage friendly place; plenty of space, security, semi-safe. On Friday's, under twenty-one's got in free and only paid for their drinks. On Saturday's, there was a fifteen dollar cover charge along with the price for drinks. At least that's what a sign at the entrance had said. Whoever the owner was, they had good business sense. For only being open a few month the place was, for the lack of a better word, _hopping_.

Suddenly, Seto caught a glimpse of something that almost made him spit out his mouthful of seltzer water. When the crowd on the dance floor parted briefly, he saw a distinct head of bluish white hair pass through the gap and disappear again. He stared at the crowd, willing the figure to appear again. But it didn't. Perhaps he'd imagined it. Perhaps his delusions and ceaseless thoughts about her had finally driven him over the edge. Perhaps this is what going crazy felt like; like your chest was constricting so hard you might implode upon yourself. But he had to know if that passing image really was just in his head or not. There was still that small chance that she was real.

The dragon, the Ouroboros; he was never one to believe in fate or signs, but that glimpse was too real.

His bottle hit the table harder than he had meant it too, making those sitting with him look up. He stood shakily, trying desperately to hide the trembling in his knees. He spoke one word, "bathroom," and disappeared into the loitering crowd on the dance floor. No one came after him and he was thankful that they didn't. His emotional state had been slowly fraying over the past two years. He didn't know what he would do if someone tried to stop him. Seto had always known from the moment he'd first seen that image of her that he had only one cure. She was the only one who could repair his sensibilities.

His heart raced as he searched desperately, not caring as he pushed and jarred those he passed. Those jostled hissed and cursed at him, but he paid them no mind. He had to find her. He'd seen her. Seto was positive he'd seen her among this crowd. But it was like she'd disappeared, evaporated like a puff of smoke for him to forever try to reach but never be allowed to grasp.

As Seto's heart sank, the club lights started to dim. He would never find her now. She was gone... again.

The stage light flicked on, temporarily blinding him and he realized where he'd managed to situate himself. Seto found himself only feet away from the stage. He covered his eyes with one hand as they adjusted to the sudden brightness. As he rubbed the spots out if eyes, he heard a voice over the speakers, one he found familiar.

"Evening everybody!" It said. It was a woman's voice, energetic in her delivery of lines she had obviously spoken far too often. "Welcome to the Dragon's Den to everyone who's new and welcome back to everyone who's not! I've got two rules: you start a fight; you get thrown out and have fun! Now who's ready for this party to start?!"

The din of the cheering crowd around Seto was almost deafening. He finally cleared the spots out of his eyes and looked up just as the first cords were strung. The sight before him made his breath falter and his mind go numb. It was her.

Standing on the stage, the white guitar strung around her, was Kisara's near body double. The face, the eyes, and the figure were exactly the same. Her skin was not as pale, glowing a healthy peach shade in the stage lights. Her beautiful blue-white hair was not as long as it had been, falling messily about her shoulders. But it was her. There was not a doubt in Seto's mind.

She started to play, her band mates playing with her. Her fingers ghosted over the strings expertly, strumming out each cord with practiced ease. Then she stepped to the microphone and opened her mouth to sing and Seto found himself entranced. She was the one who had spoken. She owned this place. She led this band.

Seto had finally found her. But now that he had, there was nothing he could do. She was up there, singing her heart out to a warehouse full of dancing twenty-something's and teenagers. He was down there, standing on the dance floor in the middle of the ciaos, still unable to reach her even though she was so close at hand.

He had to change that. Seto _would_ change that.


	4. Chapter 4

Seto rolled over and stared at the alarm clock seated on his oak bedside table. The digital numbers read ten-thirty. He groaned and turned back over. He'd never, as long as he could remember living in this mansion, slept in so late. Gozaburo had never allowed him to sleep past six. So, as precedence, Seto never allowed himself to sleep past five-thirty. After so many years, the schedule had become habit. Now, after one night, he'd broken it.

He opened his eyes again. The curtains were closed. Mokuba must have snuck in early in the morning to shut them before the sun could wake him. As much as he hated waking up so late, he'd have to remember to thank the boy for the gesture.

Seto couldn't quite remember when he'd finally gotten home. At one point the band did retire to the back of the warehouse and everyone in attendance started to file out. Seto had tried to follow Kisara's look-a-like, only to be stopped by security. He remembered threatening them, offering them money, but nothing made them budge.

Two o'clock seemed to stick out in his head. Perhaps he had seen the time in his car on the way home. He certainly hadn't seen Jou or the rest of that group since he'd left the table. Seto guessed they'd gotten up to dance and had gotten lost in the crowd like he had. He'd have to remember to give Jou a raise or something as gratitude for _forcing_ him to go to that club.

Seto gave a satisfied smirk into his pillow. He'd found her. He knew where to find her. Now all he had to do was meet her. That would be simple for someone like _him_.

Seto sat up, wide awake and ready to make this Saturday productive; though he didn't plan to work. He slid off his bed and went over to his window in order to throw open the curtains. The day was bright and sunny, no doubt warm too.

This would be a good day. He could feel it.

"You look different."

Seto looked up at Mokuba over the rim of his coffee mug. The boy was observing him critically, eyes narrowed with suspicion as he leaned on the armrest of the large plush sofa. They were relaxing in the downstairs lounge after a large lunch; large because Seto had slept through breakfast, not just because Mokuba seemed to need to eat his weight in food every day. The room was decorated like the rest of the mansion; in refined whites and blues with varying accenting colors. There was a large television in this lounge, mainly for Mokuba's enjoyment. Seto was thankful that his little brother had grown out of childish cartoons, but the alternative teen comedies and dramas weren't much better.

Seto proceeded to take a sip of his coffee before responding to Mokuba's accusation. "How can I look different? You see me every day."

"I don't know! There's just something different."

Seto smiled against the lip of his mug as he took another sip.

"You met a girl, didn't you?"

If Seto hadn't been one to keep a constant vigil over his faculties, he would have ejected his mouthful of coffee at the abruptness of the question. Fortunately for him, and the white carpet, he was. He swallowed the liquid in his mouth and turned accusing eyes on Mokuba, who merely stared back, blinking innocently.

"What makes you think that?"

"You just seem, I don't know, calmer today. Even when you're home your all tense, like you've still got work on your mind; even when you're hanging out with me."

Seto put the mug back to his lips, trying to keep his eyes passive. It hid the frown he wore. Mokuba was right again.

"But today your shoulders are all relaxed. And you're not scowling. You must've met _somebody_."

"And what if I did?" Seto cut his eyes at Mokuba, but there was no annoyance in them.

Mokuba grinned. "Then I'd wanna know what happened. What's she like? When am I gonna meet her? What's her name?"

Her name. Seto felt panic constrict his chest. He didn't even know her name. He could assume her name was Kisara, but what if it wasn't? He'd make a fool out of himself.

He kept his calm. "You'll meet her eventually."

"When?!" Mokuba pushed, and Seto could see the old childish excitement rise in him.

He couldn't help but smile. "Mokuba, I just met the woman." A flat lie. "Give it some time."

Mokuba pursed his lips but sat back against the couch. "Fine..."

Seto chuckled. "Which reminds me," he set his mug on the coffee table. "I'm going to be gone a good portion of the afternoon. I'll try and be home before dinner."

The boy turned back to his brother curiously. "You're seeing her today?"

Seto smirked, "Perhaps."

Mokuba huffed. "Alright, but I get you tomorrow." As Seto exited the room, he threw one more comment at him. "Remember! Don't wear you're trench coats!"

Seto stopped in the doorway to look back, but Mokuba's attention was back on the television. He turned back around and, shaking his head, made his way to the large sweeping staircase in the main hall. He felt guilty about lying to Mokuba. But with the luck he was having, by the evening, it would no longer be a lie.

Seto took Mokuba's advice once again and refrained from wearing one of his, as Mokuba had started calling them, _flashy_ coats. It was a stifling afternoon anyway, so one would not be practical. But Seto didn't wear the jean's either. He went instead with a more business casual look; grey slacks, lighter blue shirt than the one he'd worn the previous night. Seto was _never _going to let _anyone_ catch him out of form, business formal, casual, or otherwise.

It was strange seeing the docks so empty when they were full to bursting the previous night with cars and people. The sign over the open warehouse doors was unlit. He walked inside and noted how much bigger the space looked without so many people stuffed inside. There was a scattering of people about; sweeping the floors, stocking the bar, wiping the tables, checking the instruments. It was the picture of efficiency. But there was no sign of _her_. Seto stepped farther inside, looking around for her as he did so.

"Hey!" A voice called out to him.

Seto looked over. The man who had been cleaning off tables had looked up and spotted him. He was muscular, Seto's height, with spiked hair that had been obviously dyed red.

"We're _closed_." He said, annoyed. It sounded as if they caught people trying to sneak in all the time. "Come back when we're open." The man looked him up and down, brow raised. "If you're even old enough to come back tonight, 'cause we don't serve _kids_ on Saturdays."

Seto scowled at him. "I go where I want. You're not _worth_ my time. I want to see your boss."

"Oh yeah, punk?" The man threw down the rag he'd been using. The others, who had been working diligently, looked up. "And I think it's time for you to leave. Let me show you the door."

"Try it," Seto smirked, spreading his legs slightly to lower his center of gravity. If this man was going to keep him from seeing her, than that was an offence that had to be paid for. No one would keep Seto from seeing Kisara again.

When the red haired man roughly grabbed Seto's wrist, Seto twisted it so that the man was grabbed instead. While he was still stunned by the sudden turn around, Seto grasped the man's belt and, using his arm as leverage, tossed him head over heels into a pile of chairs that had not yet been placed back in their proper positions. Gasps came from around the room and the remainder of those who had been cleaning stopped what they were doing and rushed to the man's aide, calling out what Seto assumed to be his name: "Akira!"

The man sat up, scratched and bruised but overall unharmed. "Bastard!"

Seto smirked and opened his mouth to throw back an insult. But he was abruptly cut off.

"What the _hell_ is going on?!" The voice came from the back of the club area, where the dividing wall was situated.

Kisara's body double stood in the doorway that led to the back half of the warehouse, looking shocked and outraged. She rushed over, stopping between the two parties; Seto and the red haired man. She looked over the scene but her expression didn't get any better, even as the man struggled to his feet. Seto suddenly wished he'd taken a different course of action. He _really_ didn't like her looking at him like she currently was; like he'd wronged her.

She placed her hands on her hips, one hip jutting slightly as she put more weight on one foot than the other. "Care to explain what happened?" She looked from Seto to Akira than back again.

"This _brat_ is trespassing." Akria growled. "I was gonna show him out and the bastard _flipped_ me. Don't know how it happened really..."

She turned to Seto, "What do you have to say?"

Seto decided that he'd be more tactful next time. He felt uncomfortable under that accusing stare. "I will pay for the damages."

"To right you will." She nodded. "And then some, you could have seriously injured my drummer. What would we have done tonight if you have put him in the hospital, huh?"

Seto tried to keep his expression passive. It was difficult under the scrutiny of those oh so familiar eyes.

She sighed and thrust her head back towards where she'd come from. "Come with me. We'll take care of this now."

"Kisa, you can't be serious!" Akira exclaimed. "This guy came here for you. He _threw_ me. Who knows what he'd do to _you_!"

Kisa turned a glare at Akira. "This _guy_ is Seto Kaiba. He can't afford to _do_ anything." She turned back to Seto. "Now come with me."

Seto followed without a word or glance at her band mates. He watched her back and noticed for the first time that her hair was up, tied tight against the lower portion of her skull in a tight ponytail. She was dress casually; a loose fitting pair of blue jeans and a white tank top. There was a pencil tucked behind her right ear. She must have been working when the commotion started.

It hit him. Her name was Kisa, not Kisara. Seto didn't know why, but the shorter version of the name seemed to suit this version of Kisara better.

He followed her through the door into the back section of the warehouse and into... a living room. Seto had to stop and look over his shoulder to make sure he was seeing right. He was. The whole back section of the warehouse had been remodeled into a suitable living space. The living room was fitted with a spacious three seater couch, two armchairs, and a television. On the opposite side was a dining area, fit with six seater table. To the right was a spacious kitchen complete with island. To his left was a staircase, no doubt leading up to quite a few bedrooms. Kisa was leading him to a door situated under the stairs.

He followed her inside and into a cramped office space. The desk was laden down with paperwork and books. A laptop computer was situated in front of the chair, which looked as if it had been abruptly pushed back. Kisa cleaned off another chair in the office a moved it so that it was on the other side of the desk. Kisa motioned to the chair as she moved to her own, a silent offer for him to sit down. Seto took the offer, crossing one leg over the other as he settled himself into it. It wasn't an expensive chair. He guessed it was most likely picked up at some dime-a-dozen thrift store. Seto looked back at her to find her rifling through a file she'd picked up out of an open drawer in her desk. Watching her in the dim light of the desk lamp, with her hair pulled back, and the pencil tucked behind her ear, she looked a lot older than him.

Seto's brows furrowed. He didn't even know how old she was.

Kisa plucked a piece of paper from the file. "I assume you have your check book on you. If you could make one out to Kisa Miyoshi, I'll have the figure for you in just a moment."

"Kisa Miyoshi," Seto repeated automatically.

She looked up at him curiously, brow raised.

He coughed and reached into his pants pocket for his checkbook. "Nothing, it's just a nice name."

Kisa smiled at him, albeit slightly. "Thank you, I suppose." She moved back to the paper, pulling a calculator out of another drawer with her other hand.

Seto felt light inside as he filled out the top check of his book. It was a small victory, that smile.

It took him only a few seconds to complete the check. He spent the rest of the time observing the office, and her. She had pulled her computer back towards her, most likely to look up a separate figure. Seto tore his eyes from her face to wander about her desk. There was the spine of a book sticking out towards him that read: _Compendium to Domestic Law_. His brow raised and he notice similar books around the same subject piled atop each other around the room. One such pile was the one that had been moved off the chair he was currently sitting in.

"You're a lawyer?" He asked, curiosity seeping unwillingly into his tone.

"Gods no," Kisa answered without looking up from her computer. "Can't stand them. I got my degree in Marketing and Advertising. When I'm not working on my establishment, I mainly do consult work. The club is fun, but it doesn't pay nearly half my bills." She paused in her typing and looked up at Seto curiously.

"What?"

Kisa shook her head before turning back to her computer. "Don't know why I just told you all that. It's none of your business, really."

"So law is a hobby."

"Something like that."

Seto suppressed the urge to vocalize his frustration. He wasn't going to get anymore out of her on that topic. He searched around for something else. A picture frame almost hidden by a pile of loose papers caught his eye. It was the only personal thing in the space. Perhaps the only thing that proved Kisa belonged there. He reached out for it and pulled it from its prison. He gazed down at the image behind the glass, eyes wide, hardly able to believe what he was seeing.

"They're _not_ my daughters, trust me. I'm not even married."

Seto looked up to find Kisa looking at him, pencil that was once behind her ear poised over a form. "I wasn't assuming they were."

Though it was hard not to. There were two girls posing in the picture, both with bluish-white hair, both with stunning aquamarine eyes. If Kisa was Kisara's body double, these girls were a close second. The shapes of their faces and their eyes were different then Kisa's.

"They're my baby sisters, if you're wondering and since I seem to be in such a talkative mood." Kisa continued. "Miku's thirteen and Rin's nine." She put down her pencil. "Alright, if you could fill that check out for sixty thousand yen, that'd be wonderful. That'll cover the chairs and Akira's clinic visit."

Seto raised a brow, "And then some." But he filled out the remainder of the check anyway.

"I'm not stupid." Kisa shrugged. "Seto Kaiba walks into my establishment and starts trouble; I assumed you'd add extra anyway to shut us up."

Seto nodded appreciatively. She was right. He handed her the check. Kisa clipped it to the form before standing from her chair.

"I'll walk you out. Don't want to have to drag you back in here for causing more damage." She said cheekily.

Seto refrained from rolling his eyes. _Don't give me ideas_.

He followed her out. Her band mates were seated at the bar. They looked up when the door opened. Kisa waved them down with a friendly smile and all but the red head relaxed. Out in the sunshine, Seto watched her stretch, hands reaching high above her head. She sighed and looked out over the water of the bay.

"Not a bad piece of real-estate I managed to get here, huh?"

"I can think of better." Seto muttered.

Kisa turned to look up at him. That smile came back. "You'd think so. I have my reasons, believe me." She reached out her hand, offering a friendly shake. "Stay out of trouble. I like what you do, so I'd hate to have to do that again."

Seto found himself smiling down at her as he reached out to shake her hand. "Best to keep a good rapport. I may have need of your services in the future."

"Ha!" It was a short bark of a laugh, but full of good humor. "That'll be the day!" They shook hands.

There was a surge of energy that passed suddenly between them, stronger than a static shock. It wasn't painful, but enough to make Kisa jerk her hand out of his. She stared down at her palm, looking surprised. Seto stood still and slowly drew his hand back. He'd somehow been expecting something like that to happen. He didn't know why. His past life and Kisara had shared such a peculiar bond, there was bound to be some oddity to happen when they were reunited. Perhaps it had been too much for her though. She was looking up at him now with such a strange look on her face, an emotion he couldn't even start to put a name to. He felt anticipation twist in his stomach as she put her trembling hand in her pocket and opened her mouth to speak.

"Well… have a good day, Mr. Kaiba." With that, she turned and started walking away.

The only description Seto could form for what he felt was shock. That was it? After what just happened, she was walking away. Seto clenched his fists. No, he wasn't going to let her just walk away. He needed something, some proof, some acknowledgement that she knew or even slightly remembered. He needed a reason to come back to see her again, one that wasn't just pure obsession. He _needed_ that connection.

"Kisara?!" Seto didn't know why he called out the other name. It wasn't hers. There was no reason why she should react to it.

There was a falter in Kisa's step. For the briefest moment Seto believed she was going to turn around. But she didn't. Kisa continued inside and the warehouse doors shuddered closed behind her.

It was enough. The name meant something. Perhaps she remembered something, even if it was only slightly. Seto had to know. He had to find out if this wasn't just some fantasy his overly obsessive mind had cooked up.

Seto had never felt so full of determination since before the Pharaoh departed. It was like he was back on the playing field, trying to read his opponent's next move. He had to be careful, tactful.


	5. Chapter 5

As Mokuba promised, Seto's Sunday was devoted to the fourteen year old. But he questioned as to whether the day was about their usual activities or about Seto's new _friend_. All day Seto was badgered with questions at seemingly random intervals, or whenever Mokuba seemed to think he'd let his guard down. Seto answered the best he could, but there were some questions that left him wondering the answers to.

Unknown to Seto the answers would come Monday afternoon with Jounouchi's visit. The blond didn't give Seto his usual greeting, but walked straight up to the CEO's desk looking thoroughly satisfied with himself. There was a magazine rolled up in one of his fists.

When Jou didn't speak, Seto begrudgingly initiated the conversation, "Yes, Jounouchi?"

Jou looked smug. "Had a good time Friday?"

"If I did?"

"Then you owe someone a thank you."

"So you all planned that, did you?" Seto's voice dripped with amusement.

"Well, you definitely weren't gonna find out about her yourself, as antisocial as you are." Jou huffed. "Here, thought you'd like to read this." He let the magazine he had in his hand fall to smack onto the surface of Seto's desk, drawing the brunette's eyes to it.

Kisa stared back at him from the cover, looking as attractive as he had seen her three nights previous. There was the expression of unmasked joy on her face as she played; hair falling about her shoulders, eyes sparkling. The picture had captured so much of the essence of her that he remembered that night. It was hard to believe that she could be anything but in the day time as well. But Seto had seen her, a different side then what the picture showed. He wondered briefly which one was real; the professional or the musician?

The magazine remained untouched throughout Jou's visit and even into the late afternoon. But Seto's eyes kept moving to it against his will. He knew its contents could answer many of his questions, but it somehow felt dirty. How much of Kisa's life was on display in those lacquered pages?

As Seto's clock neared four he took up the magazine, unable to resist any longer. It wasn't a long article, a few paragraphs at most of a multipage story regarding rising talents in Domino City. But those few paragraphs gave Seto an incite he felt guilty about having. Those few personal things the pages contained felt like things that should have been said personally, not through some jaded journalist.

[ Kisa Miyoshi, 25, raised in Hokkaido, graduated from Tokyo University with a respectable degree in Business Marketing and Advertising, now owner of the Dragon's Den located on the docks of the warehouse district of Domino City. Her band, Fifty Card Deck, supposedly named by her baby sister Miku, an avid fan of Duel Monsters, was created through Kisa's influence and unending enthusiasm. Each member was Kisa's friend during high school and joined in her venture through their mutual love of music.

When asked about her move to Domino City from Tokyo, she responded: "I felt this city had much more potential, for me and my band. We're not platinum record material, but I felt that we could do better here than in Tokyo, where the market is so incredibly saturated with new talent."

Was owning a club always a goal? "Not always. I would have been perfectly happy with my degree. I might have even stayed in Tokyo. But there had always been that desire to do something with the talent I had. Performing is something I love to do. Nothing beats that rush when you're on stage in front of a room of people who enjoy listening to you."

What inspires her? "My sisters. I would do anything for them."

Have any of your sisters shown an interest in following in your footsteps? "Maybe. I haven't seen either of them in years, so I don't know for sure. I doubt my Aunt and Uncle wouldn't approve anyway."

What plans do you have for the Dragon's Den and Fifty Card Deck? "We only perform two nights a week, so we have talked about branching our performances to outside the club. Besides that, I have some important things I need to sort out before I start making any other plans."]

Seto read through the article multiple times, letting the information swirl through his head and process. The most glaring piece of information stuck out to him first. Kisa was twenty-five, a whole six years older than him. It perhaps didn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but it insinuated a lot. It was no wonder Seto had found their short conversation intellectually stimulating. She had graduated college, unlike a large portion of his peers. It also meant that, if she was uncomfortable with the age difference, he had a bigger trial ahead of him then he originally thought.

Then there was her sisters. There was a thirteen year age difference between Kisa and the oldest of her baby sisters, Miku. She had said that she hadn't seen her sisters in years. The mentioning of her Aunt and Uncle and not Mother or Father unsettled him as well. Why hadn't she seen her sisters for so long? Why were the two girls, supposedly, living with relatives instead of their parents? There had to be a long story that explained everything; possibly even one like his and Mokuba's. There was just too much left open to interpretation.

Seto had to talk to her again. He _needed_ to talk to her again. He had to learn more about her, from her own mouth, not some gossip magazine. Seto let the open magazine fall back onto his desk. His head fell forward into one of his hands. The obsession was starting to worry him. He seriously started to wonder if such an obsession with Kisara, or her reincarnation, was even healthy for his mind. Whenever he thought about either of the two women, he felt both crazy and eased at the same time. But he wondered which one was causing the reaction. Was it the memory of the woman she _was_ or thoughts of the woman she _is_? It was difficult to tell, at least right now.

The only task left before him was to find a way to see her again, without looking like the stalker he felt like. Would she even be interested in him? This Kisara was like a different woman. His memories of Egypt wouldn't help him, she would have said something if she had recollection of the events. Just asking if she had any memory of them would only serve to make him look even crazier than he already felt. So the only option left would be to try and gain her affection. When he'd accomplished that, then he could ask if she remembered Egypt. At least then he wouldn't look as crazy… probably.

But gaining the attention and affections of a woman wasn't something he had experience in. Seto had a variety of skills, most, if not all, gained from his time under the tutelage of his deranged step father. Seto could speak several languages fluently. He could manage his entire multi-billion yen company by himself. He could fly any personal or passenger aircraft, especially the jet he'd designed himself. He could even, if so inclined, ball room dance. It was a skill Gozaburo was adamant about because of the constant need to be able to show off at any formal function. It was a skill that Seto had actually never used, as he was more one to remain away from such environments. But gaining the affections of the opposite sex was something he'd never had the chance to study up on. It was true that women were attracted to him anyway, but what those women had desired was his looks alone. Such a small aspect of a person wasn't going to work on Kisa. She was older, well educated, and definitely _not_ those other women.

What Seto needed was advice. He knew it. He dreaded where the advice was going to come from. He'd save the most embarrassing conversation for tomorrow. It was best to start with Mokuba who, sadly, had more insight on the subject then Seto ever had. It would have been sad anyway, if Mokuba had ended up being any help.

Dinner was just being placed on the table when Seto got home that evening. Mokuba was eagerly awaiting his arrival in the lounge, passing the time playing a video game. They sat at the large table in the dining room, where Seto asked his question.

"Mokuba, what would a man usually do to show their affections for someone?" He worded it as professionally as possible. Not that it helped. Mokuba could see through him as if he was made out of plastic.

The boy had his fork halfway to his mouth, but stopped and stared at his older brother. "Is this about Kisa?"

"Might be," Trying to make his response sound casual was difficult, especially with large dark eyes staring curiously up at him.

"Well…" Mokuba put his fork down to think. "Why don't you do something nice to show that you like her?"

"And what would I do?" One of Seto's brows lifted.

"When boys at school like girls they usually put notes in her desk, or in her locker. Or he gives her presents, like candy and stuff."

Seto's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Mokuba, what have I told you about dating at your age."

Mokuba flushed. "_I_ haven't been doing it! I'm just telling you what the other boys are doing. Honest!"

"Hm," Seto grunted, but the look never wavered.

It would explain what Mokuba had been spending his fairly large weekly allowance on. The teen's well known popularity with the girls in his school only proved as farther evidence. Seto would have to remember to dock a good portion of his brother's allowance from now on. Mokuba didn't say anymore, instead opting to shovel large portions of food into his mouth. Seto guessed it was to stop himself from saying anymore incriminated things about his school life.

The next day he brought the question up to Jounouchi; though he worded it to be more direct. "How did you get Mai to date you?"

Jou and Mai had gotten together only a few months after his high school graduation. Everyone knew about it, even if the two didn't spend much time together because of work. Jou had surely boasted enough about it for no one to ever forget it.

Jou had flushed about as red as Mokuba had the previous night. "What?"

Seto glared at him. "You heard me. How did you do it?"

"I don't know." The blond scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I don't think I did anything really. It just kinda… happened."

Seto's eyes narrowed, "Impossible."

Jou glared back, crossing his arms over his chest. "What? A girl can't like just cause?"

The other man's answer was short and definite, "No."

It wasn't the first time Jou had stomped out of Seto's office pissed off, swearing never to visit again. It surely wouldn't be the last. Jou would most likely abstain from his visits for a week, maybe more, and start them back up after he felt Seto had learned his _lesson_, which Seto never did. The brunette merely remained quiet and let Jou assume that fact.

That evening Seto sat in his office, the magazine still lying on his desk, with no answer to his question. Out of either boredom or desperation, he started flipping through his desk calendar, hoping for some form of inspiration to hit him. They were in the last week of August. Mokuba's short summer break before his next semester started would be ending very soon and he'd be back to school. Seto would have to make sure the boy had finished all the homework he'd been given to do over the break. He flipped the page.

September would be busy as well. He planned to break ground on the academy in the middle of the month. With any luck it would open within two years… tops. He certainly liked the contractor enough to give him full management over the construction. That would take one more thing off Seto's mind and leave him open to keep a stern watch on Mokuba's behavior. He turned the page again.

There was the month Seto didn't look forward to the most… October. Mokuba had circled the twenty-fifth in thick red ink and had written in messy handwriting: _LEAVE OPEN._ His brother would start on him soon about what they were going to do that day. Seto's birthday had become a fixation of Mokuba's over the past few years. Seto had always been sure that Mokuba received more than adequate attention on his birthday. It was a day Seto felt should be celebrated, so much so that his own birthday fell to the wayside. Not that he minded, he'd rather it stayed that way.

He had to admit, he was surprised it had taken so long for Mokuba to notice. Now that he had, Seto couldn't get away with it anymore. Mokuba always wanted to do something for Seto's birthday and Seto wasn't one to deny his brother anything. Last year the boy had insisted on a big party. So Seto arranged an event at Kaiba Land where children all over Domino were allowed to visit for free, under the guise of a Halloween celebration. It satisfied his goals, making his brother happy while keeping attention off of himself. Seto didn't need to be reminded of how old he was.

But that was an idea; perhaps the one he'd been searching for.

Seto's birthday fell on a Saturday this year. If he could come up with some kind of event than he'd be able to see Kisa again under the guise of hiring her. It wouldn't even have to be a guise; Mokuba would love the idea. Plus, Kisa and he would be required to collaborate on the planning. That would mean multiple meetings with her. It would give him more than adequate time to figure out how to attract her.

Seto smirked. It was perfect.

He had the number to the club after a quick internet search. He dialed it from his office phone and waited. When someone finally picked up, he was disappointed that it wasn't Kisa. The voice was high and airy. Seto somewhat remembered another woman at the club, but he couldn't remember what she looked like.

"Dragon's Den," She greeted.

Seto answered back professionally. "I would like to speak to Kisa Miyoshi."

"Can I ask who it is?"

"Seto Kaiba."

The pause that followed was short, but no less awkward. He almost expected to be hung up on, until he heard her voice again. It was farther away. He guessed she'd pulled the phone away from her ear to call out to wherever Kisa was.

"Kisa, you have a call! It's _you know who_!"

Seto raised a brow. Apparently they had been talking about him. He wasn't sure whether to feel relieved that Kisa had not forgotten him, or concerned. When Kisa's voice came over the receiver, the brow relaxed and a small smile graced his lips.

"This is Kisa." She sounded slightly out of breath, like she had to run to phone.

"I didn't know I had become so popular."

"Can't flip someone into a pile of chairs without being talked about, right?" There was sarcasm thick in her tone. "What can I do for you, Mr. Kaiba?"

"Seto, if you would." He never let any potential business partners call him by his first name. It was unprofessional. Kisa was different. He had a feeling she always would be an exception.

He heard her sigh. When she spoke again, there was no irritation or sarcasm present. "What can I do for you, Seto?"

Hearing his name from her lips felt satisfying in a way. "I'd like to meet with you sometime this week, if you have the time."

"Meet with me?" She asked curiously.

"That's right. Something has come up and I feel I may require your services."

"Can I ask what that may be?" She sounded wary. He didn't blame her.

"You can, but I would rather discuss it with you in person."

She sighed again, "If you insist. How about Thursday afternoon, about three?"

"No sooner?" Seto tried not to sound disappointed. He wasn't sure he succeeded.

"I do have my own career, you know?"

It was Seto's turn to sigh, defeated. "Right, Thursday then. I will see you Thursday, Miss Miyoshi."

He heard her laugh. "Since we're already on a first name bases, call me Kisa."

The smile was back on his face, "Of course. I will see you Thursday, Kisa."

"See you then, Seto." She hung up, leaving Seto smiling into a dead line.

Thursday. He just had to get through another day and a half. That time would feel like an eternity.


	6. Chapter 6

Seto's meeting with Kisa could not come fast enough. By Wednesday night Seto was anxious and impatient. He had snapped at many of his employees that day, including his poor secretary; some who he felt deserved it, most probably didn't. That night he sat at his home office desk, working out the details for the event he was going to pitch to Kisa. His fingers drummed out a steady, yet hard, rhythm on the keys as he typed. Every so often he stopped, his eyes growing distant as his thoughts strayed back to the woman. Every time this happened, Mokuba would look up at him from his location on the couch and shake his head.

The teen would comment something akin to: "You're obsessed."

To which Seto would regain his composure, grunt, and say: "Don't be ridiculous."

That's how it went until Mokuba had gone to bed at nine. Seto had stayed up much later, past midnight, determined to be prepared before he stepped foot into his building tomorrow.

By the next afternoon Seto's anxiety had grown into an uncomfortable ball in his stomach. It festered there, making him feel sick. It was a sensation he had never experienced before. He wasn't used to nerves. He was more so used to causing them, to seeing his employees sweat at his mere presence. Not that Seto was sweating, but the day was once again warm. The thick white suit he'd decided to wear that day was not helping to relieve his discomfort.

The morning into the afternoon was not much better than the previous day. If anything, his temper was worse as his waited impatiently for it to be time for him to leave for the Dragon's Den. His secretary, smart woman that she was, rescheduled the majority of his meetings that afternoon for another day. So Seto sat in his office as the minutes inched by, looking over the memo's he'd printed out last night, searching for nonexistent errors and left out details. They were to his satisfaction, as everything had to be. Hopefully they would be to Kisa's as well.

At last, it was time for him to leave. He packed his notes into his large metal briefcase and locked it tight. It was reliable, that briefcase. He's had it for years. It made a statement about his character and his wealth. He liked it. Taking it in hand, Seto stood from his desk and left the office. As he passed his secretary he commented to her that he'd be out the rest of the day. Who knew how long his meeting with Kisa would take? If it went as he planned, he'd be there well into the early evening. He wanted it to anyway.

The drive to the warehouse district from the Kaiba Corporation office building was long. Domino City rivaled Tokyo in sheer size. The two locations were on near opposite ends of the city to each other; Kaiba Corp. in the impressive uptown business district, while the Dragon's Den was in the warehouse district, which was off of the lower income establishments of downtown. As long as the drive was, it was at least pleasant. Traffic was light and the view of the bay out the windows as Seto neared his destination was almost nice enough to better his mood. Almost.

Seto stepped through the threshold of the Dragon's Den on time, having always been a stickler for punctuality. He'd expected to be met with the irritated face of the band's drummer. Instead, Seto was surprised to find that the space was empty. There was neither hide nor hair of the man named Akira or anyone else from the band. The absence of anyone in the large open space was somewhat unsettling. It felt like a space that required people to be in it at all times, much like Kaiba Land. Though, now that he thought about it critically, they could all be hiding in the back. That space seemed more like where they spent the majority of their time.

The door to the living quarters was wide open. There was music coming from the other side; the faint plinking of piano keys. The melody wafted into the club, echoing around, filling the space with its calming notes. Seto made his way across the club space, towards the sounds. They were gentle on his ears and calmed the ball of nerves that had been making his stomach feel ill. It was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever heard.

Seto peeked through the doorway. Kisa sat on the couch, a keyboard laid out on the coffee table before her. On the stand attached to its length were sheaf's of paper he couldn't quite see. The pencil was back behind her ear and, every few minutes, Kisa would stop playing and retrieve the pencil to jot down a note on the paper.

He wanted to remain standing there leaning on the doorframe and watch her; felt like he could for hours. Kisa looked so calm as she played, humming whatever lyrics were playing in her head, nodding gently to the beat of the music. If there had been any one moment Seto wanted to bottle up in order to save and look back on, it was this one. It was a private moment, one he was sure he wasn't supposed to walk in on. This was her in her element, engrossed in her craft. He hated to break the image, but he'd come under the guise of business. There was work that needed to be done.

So Seto knocked hard on the doorframe he was leaning his shoulder against, drawing Kisa's eyes his way.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, looking up at the clock above the television. "Is it that late already?"

"It is." Seto couldn't keep the amusement from his voice even if he wanted to. "Working hard? If you would rather reschedule…"

"No no! Please, come in." Kisa waved him in and Seto walked over to where she sat. "I was just messing about, really. I've had this tune in my head for the past few days, so I had to compose it before it drove me mad."

Seto sat, leaving a respectable amount of space between them. "It was nice."

"Thank you!" She beamed at him. "It's not really fit for the club, so I'm not sure what I'll do with it…"

"Perhaps you'll let me listen to it when it's done." He wasn't sure why he offered. He'd understated what he thought of her playing; did it because he _was_ Seto Kaiba. And, truth be told, he did want to hear her play again.

"We'll see." It wasn't a definite yes, but it wasn't a no either. "I hope you'll excuse the attire. I know I'm not exactly dressed for a business meeting."

"I see no problems with your choice of clothing." Seto didn't. In fact, he found her attire quite attractive.

The jeans Kisa wore today were tighter than the last pair he'd seen her in. They hugged her hips and drew his eyes to her waist, which was clothed in a deep red blouse that wrapped around her curves. Her hair was up again, giving a pleasant view of her neck. Seto swallowed and forced his eyes somewhere else. How could one woman be so pretty?

Right… Kisara…

"Would you like something to drink?" Kisa moved to get up. "I don't have coffee, so it's either tea, water, or one of my concoctions."

Seto's eyes drew back to her at the odd choice of words. "Your what?"

She laughed. "You've seen the bar. I don't get those recipes out of a cookbook."

"And you cook?" He almost sounded impressed.

Kisa grimaced. "Oh no, I don't _cook_. Trust me; you don't want to have me cook anything."

Based on the look on her face, Seto trusted her word. "Tea is fine." Best to play it safe for now.

"Suit yourself." She shrugged and got up.

Seto wished he had looked away faster. When Kisa turned away, he was given a full view of her delicate shoulders, the subtle sweep of her lower back, and… his eyes kept wandering lower. He tore them away, instead opting to cover them with one hand. He rubbed his eyes with a thumb and forefinger. They had been straying far too often as of late. He didn't know how much longer he could take it. He wasn't like other men his age. He was responsible, intelligent, composed.

Then again… he wasn't like other men his age. He'd gone his entire adolescence near completely void of the usual impulses that plagued the other boys. He'd never had the temptation to date or, more mortifying to think of, skirt chase. Now that he, for the first time he could remember, wanted to get involved with someone of the opposite sex, it felt like all those years of ignoring those particular urges were paying him back ten-fold. He had to occupy his mind with something else; give his mind something else to think about.

"So," he finally said. "Where are the rest of them?"

Kisa called back her answer from the kitchen, "Out finding their own places to live, God willing."

Seto's head jerked up out of his hand. It was something else to think about, but he didn't like it. They had all been living with her? Even that man, Akira, Seto had picked a fight with? A new emotion Seto had never had the pleasure of experiencing bubbled up inside him, jealousy. It bubbled and festered so quickly that it turned his lips downward into a dark scowl.

"You're not _dating_ any of them, are you?" He couldn't keep the bitterness out of his tone.

He missed the questioning look Kisa had shot at him from the kitchen counter. "I don't see how that would be any of your business, but no."

Seto's jealousy unfurled and calmed for the moment. It rested in the pit of his stomach. He felt it there, ready to rear its ugly head again should the situation arise. Seto tried to breathe deeply. He'd kept telling himself he'd grown out of his old temper, his old childish ways, but this was something that he'd never really had to deal with. People were usually jealous of him or his lifestyle, not the other way around.

When Kisa came back over, she had a steaming mug for him and a glass of something for herself. The something was an odd color and Seto could only chance a guess as to what was in it. Seto reached to take the mug from her and his eyes drew to a strip of metal wrapped around her left wrist. He hadn't noticed it before; he'd been too fixated on the rest of her to see it. It was old, tarnished, and there were familiar symbols etched into its face. The Egyptian script jumped out at him, but he couldn't read it upside-down.

"What is that?" As soon as he asked, he wished he hadn't.

Kisa jerked her arm away as if it had been burned, "Just an old piece of junk. I've had it for years. I don't even remember where I got it."

Seto looked up at her, unconvinced. She spoke with the clear intention to hide something. It was in her voice and the rapidity in which she moved to hide the jewelry. If he had a few moments to look at the bracelet properly, he'd be able to read the words on it as clearly as he had read the script on the Ra card so long ago. But Kisa was making it clear that he would not have that chance. Not today anyway.

Kisa sat down next to him and quickly changed the subject. "So, what's this something you called me about?"

"Yes," Seto started, remembering what he'd come for in the first place. He put his mug on the coffee table and reached down to retrieve his briefcase. "I plan to sponsor a large event in October."

"What kind of event?" Kisa looked at him, interested.

He opened the metal container across his lap and retrieved a manila folder from inside before closing and securing it again. He handed her the folder. "It's a charity concert to benefit orphanages across our region of Japan." Seto watched, satisfied, as Kisa's eyes lit up at the mention of _concert_. He continued as she opened the folder to scan through the documents within. "I already have a location chosen. My battle stadium should be suitable, required that I make the adjustments needed for stage lighting and the like."

"Over two-thousand people?!" Kisa muttered, eyeing a particular figure.

Seto chuckled. "Yes, well, the stadium is quite large."

Kisa looked at him. "I've heard you do charity events quite a lot and donate a lot of money. But it's awfully short notice."

Seto gave an exasperated sigh. "It's for my brother's benefit, really. He's been insisting for the past few years that we do something to celebrate my birthday. I've only agreed on the pretense that I have the right to choose what is done. I don't like to be the center of attention in that respect, so I don't publicize that that is the reason for it. No one who I don't deem important needs to know when my birthday is or how old I am.

"Your birthday?"

"The twenty-fifth of October."

There was a short pause while Kisa blinked disbelievingly at him. "Well… I'm flattered that you _deem_ me important enough to know when your birthday is."

"You should know when the event will be held." Seto smirked.

"Ah! There's the loophole." She laughed. "You didn't _actually_ tell me your birthday. You insinuated it."

Seto hid his smile by picking up his mug and taking a sip. Kisa just laughed more. The moment was comfortable, as if this wasn't this first time he'd sat on this couch with her; as if they did this all the time. He could get used to moments like these.

When Kisa's laughter subsided, it was back to business. "So you want us to perform at this event."

"That would be why I'm meeting with you. It will be a large event, with enough publicity to keep you in business for years. I will pay you, or course. But, if you're not interested…"

"Now I didn't say that! How much are we talking here?" She sounded curious.

"I will pay you sixty thousand yen up front."

Kisa's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "Sixty... thous..."

"Today, if you want it as a down payment. Once you've signed the contract to do the event, I will pay another sixty thousand. Clearly, money is no problem. If you want more for your services, I'll pay you more."

Seto watched as Kisa carefully put her glass down. He knew he was more than likely offering too much for what he was asking of them. They were a fairly new band and would probably take anything he offered in order to get them better known. Truthfully, Seto wasn't even considering the rest of the group in his figure. He was fixated on Kisa and her needs. _She_ had bills to pay and a club to run. _They_ had been living off her and, if anything, owed _her_. That's how Seto saw it anyway.

Kisa leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and clutching her hands together. Her forehead landed on top of her clutched hands. He watched her curiously. When she didn't move or speak of a long while, he grew concerned.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded against her fingers. "Would you mind terribly if I told you something."

Seto's brows shot up. "What?"

"Thank you."

His brow relaxed and he found himself smiling down at her. "There's no need to thank me."

"Yes there is."

"And why is that?"

Kisa sighed and sat back, letting herself slump back against the couch cushions. "I've been trying to hire a lawyer, but haven't been able to afford one."

Up went one of Seto's brows again. "A lawyer? What for?"

Kisa glanced over at him from her relaxed position. "You saw the picture of my sisters the other day."

He nodded but stayed silent, curious to listen to what she had to say.

"That's the last picture I have of them. Miku was…" She had to stop and think. "…Eight, I think, so Rin was four. That was the last time I saw them, five years ago when I went back to Hokkaido for the last time, before I graduated college."

Understanding crossed Seto's features. "Why so long?"

Kisa smiled bitterly. "My Aunt and Uncle don't like me; made that perfectly clear whenever I came home to visit. In fact, they were like that since before I can remember. They never liked me."

"Why?"

She merely shrugged and avoided the question. "My mother was really young when she had me; like, first year of high school young. I was told my father booked it when he found out she was pregnant. I was thirteen when Miku was born and getting ready to graduate when Rin came along. Their father died before Rin was born. Mom died not long after I graduated. I was in no condition to take care of a child and a toddler. A college dorm was no place for kids."

"So they went to your Aunt and Uncle." It was starting to sound all too familiar.

Kisa nodded. "When I went back for my final break before I graduated, my Aunt and Uncle made it perfectly clear that I wouldn't be getting custody of my sisters without a fight. So I've been trying to save up money from our performances, but stuff keeps coming up. After struggling to get recognition in Tokyo for so long, just scraping by, we all moved out here."

"That's why you're interested in law."

She nodded again. "I'd thought about defending myself. I spent a lot of money on all those books to try and learn what I needed in order to do it. But there's so much more involved then I can handle. I've got the club, my career; I'm not done remodeling upstairs." Kisa rubbed her hands over her face. "It would just be easier if I could hire a lawyer. That way I'll have time to finish everything I have to do before the girls move in… if they move in."

Seto looked at her, really looked at her. There were dark circles under her eyes, barely hidden under a thin veil of makeup. How often were her nights sleepless? How often did she sit up worrying if she'd ever see her sisters again, if she'd be able to win custody of them?

"They mean a lot to you."

Kisa sighed, closing her eyes. "I'll be the first to admit, I wasn't a good kid. Professionals would have called me _lost_. And I guess they were right. I got in trouble… a lot. But when Miku was born, it was like I found a part of myself; the same with Rin. I wanted to be the best for those girls. To be the big sister they deserved. They're everything to me."

Seto looked down, at the floor, at his hands; he'd do something stupid if he didn't distract himself somehow. Kisa looked so tired, so beaten down. It was a side of her he wished he hadn't seen. She hid a lot behind the smiling face she showed on stage. How many people knew how much she suffered, has had to suffer, how hard she's worked for ultimately nothing?

"Kisa… if you need anything…" Seto struggled to find appropriate words. He wanted to offer help, but the words kept getting stuck in his throat.

Before he could even finish trying to request giving her assistance, Kisa jolted upright to look at him more properly. Seto stared, bewildered at the sudden smile upon her face.

"No! After how much you're offering to pay to have us do the event, I'll have more than enough. I can hire the lawyer, finish their bedrooms; I can even pay off most of my outstanding bills on this place."

Seto looked dubious. "What about your partners?"

"Bah!" Kisa waved a dismissive hand. "You think I _pay_ them?! I've got too much to pay for already. They perform because they want to. I'll give them a nice cut of what you'll pay us; I'm not stingy. They know what most of the money goes towards."

"So you'll do it?"

"Of course! Just let me know when you want us to come by and sign our contract and I'll tell them about it when they get back. Akira won't be happy… but he'll come around when he hears how much you're paying us."

"I'm sure." Money made most people _come around_.

"You know," Kisa looked him in the eyes. "I'd do this even if you weren't offering a crap load of money."

He looked back, his gaze unwavering, and he believed her. "I know." His voice came out softer then he wanted it to.

He wasn't expecting the color to rise in her cheeks. The apples of her cheeks turned bright pink and she looked away, clearing her throat as she did so. It was tempting to reach out and pull her to him, but he restrained himself. Nothing made him feel better than to see that blush on her cheeks or hear the awkward way she tried to turn the conversation back to business. He had her… at least until the end of October.


	7. Chapter 7

Seto had the contract printed and ready for signage by Monday morning. He'd called Kisa to tell her as such and the four members of Fifty Card Deck were in his office that afternoon. It was the first time Seto had the chance to properly inspect the other members as Kisa introduced him to each one individually.

He needed no introduction to Akira. The man stayed to the back of the room anyway, looking haughty and suspicious. He was the oldest of the group and was the only one who specialized in percussion. Seto didn't like him.

Rena had been the woman to answer the phone when he'd called to set up the meeting. She was a small, thin woman about Kisa's age. She had long, thin, black hair and dark eyes. She played quite a few instruments, including piano and violin, and was secondary vocals whenever needed.

Yuri was the youngest, but not by much, with wild black hair and bright green eyes. He was main vocals whenever Kisa wasn't and sang with her whenever necessary. He was the base guitar player among them and, from the looks of it, romantically involved with Rena.

Then there was Kisa herself; lead guitar, lead vocals, pianist, manager, single. It was a line up Seto was thoroughly satisfied with, mostly. He wasn't comfortable with the way Akira watched her and glared at him. Seto glared back, daring the older man to cause trouble in his office. Nothing happened, as was expected. The red head should be satisfied enough with the money he was being paid, to keep his mouth shut.

It was an exciting day to be sure, as Mokuba had insisted on being there as well. Seto wished he hadn't, especially when Kisa greeted him and Mokuba couldn't control himself.

"Seto talks about you _all _the time!" The boy had exclaimed.

It was after that when Seto decided that there was going to be an extensive grounding in store for Mokuba once they got home. At least seeing the bright pink blush on Kisa's face had been worth the embarrassment. But Mokuba wouldn't stop. He continued to throw suggestive glances at his older brother whenever Kisa looked away and continued to comment on just how obviously pretty she was. Seto chose to ignore him, at least until they all left and the two siblings were alone. Once the door shut, Seto rounded on the boy with one of his most disapproving glares, which was ineffective.

Mokuba just laughed. "Oh relax, Seto! I think she's really pretty. You should _totally_ ask her out."

Seto chose to ignore the advice. What did a teenager know anyway? He was doing plenty well without anyone else butting in. He went to Kisa's club every Friday after he was finished with work now, sometimes before it even opened. Kisa would welcome him in like an old friend and let him sit with them as they got ready to go on stage. Akira always remained suspiciously watchful and quiet, but Seto paid him no mind. He was more interested in listening to Kisa's ideas about the event. He couldn't stand to look away as she gestured excitedly, that large smile on her lips.

He'd gotten so used to his new schedule that he regretted having to leave for even a single weekend. Seto left for a few days in mid-September to the location of the duel academy; leaving on Thursday night and not returning until Monday morning. The location was underdeveloped and, until phone and cable services could be installed, he couldn't call out. Mokuba had told him before he left to think of it as a vacation. Seto had only glowered. Any time away from Kisa was time wasted.

When he returned at the end of the month, there was a message left for him at the office from Kisa. As part of the conditions of the contract, Kisa and her group were required to provide him with a CD of songs they would be preforming at the event and a list of any changes needed to the location. The message informed him that the requirements were met and he could come by the Dragon's Den to pick them up when he got back in town.

Seto was back in his car and driving downtown not ten minutes after receiving the message.

Once again, the club was empty. He didn't waste time pondering where everyone was, instead heading straight to the back portion of the warehouse. Seto opened the door and peeked inside. Kisa was nowhere in sight.

"Kisa?" Seto called out, a little worried that she was not home.

He breathed a sigh of relief when her voice answered back from upstairs. "I'm up here! Come on up, Seto!"

He followed her voice up the stairs and into what Seto had always assumed was the floor of bedrooms. He was close to right. The main portion of the floor was open. Boxes, paint cans, brushes, and painters plastic were scattered about the wooden floor. A couple large boxes leaned against the wall next to him; book shelves. Open doorways branched off from the space, three total, which led into the bedrooms. Seto headed to the only room with a light on and peeked in. Kisa sat on the floor in an old t-shirt and jeans. Dried paint was splattered on her clothes and even on her face.

She looked up when he stopped in the doorway and laughed. "Welcome to my mess."

Seto looked around the room. It was bare save for the painting supplies and the plastic lining the floor. The walls had been painted a pastel shade of blue; still wet and shiny in some spots. "You've been busy in my absence."

Kisa waved a dismissive hand. "I've been trying to finish the upstairs for months. Miku had finally been able to call me again and I asked her what colors her and Rin liked."

"You talk to them?"

"When they can sneak the phone away from my Uncle," Kisa stood and stretched. "I get a phone call about twice a month."

Seto couldn't imagine not being able to talk to Mokuba for even a week, "Must be difficult."

She smiled sadly. "You have no idea. But," she brightened. "I told them about the concert and that I'd be able to file for custody again. They seemed excited."

"They don't like living with your Uncle?"

She laughed again. "You can ask them. I'm planning to fly them in for Christmas. So, getting all this done way ahead of time will take a load off my mind." Kisa stepped up to him and pulled something out of her back pocket. She held it out to him. "But these are what you came for; not my rambling."

It was a compact disk. Also Inside the clear jeweled case was a piece of paper. Seto took the case and opened it, retrieving the note inside. It was actually two notes; on one was the list of songs on the disk, on the other was a list of equipment needed for the show.

"I'd like to visit the location, if it's alright with you. I'd have a better idea of where the lights should go if I know what I'm working with." She said as he read.

Seto placed the papers back into the case and closed it. "I see no problem with that. I will have the maintenance crew for the dome gathered so you can instruct them on the set up. How's tomorrow?"

Seto watched her think, going over her schedule in her head. "I can do after three."

"Four then. I'm also setting up a photo shoot for the advertising. I'd like to get it done and have the advertisements running by the first week of October."

"I should know our schedules by tomorrow. I'll call you."

Seto nodded. "I know this is a lot…"

"Well, concerts are usually planned more than two months in advance. But this was a last minute thing, so I guess I can let it slide." Kisa smiled. "There is actually something I'd like your approval on."

He raised a brow. "What would that be?"

She moved to leave the room and Seto backed up out of her way. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

Seto wasn't sure he liked the mischievous smile on her lips, but decided to hold his judgment until he saw whatever it was she was so eager show him. He stood in the middle of the landing floor, waiting, not wanting to get paint on his suit. The smell of wet paint was strong and burned the inside of his nose.

As he stood, he let his mind wander. Perhaps he should take Mokuba's advice after all. He was asking quite a lot of her for such a short amount of time. True, he'd paid her a hefty amount of money, but it still felt like he owed her. Though, owed may not be the right word. A nice dinner might be pleasant. It would be a good opportunity to gage whether or not there was any chance she was interested in him.

"What do you think?" Kisa's hesitant voice made him turn to look.

Seto raised a brow at her attire. The black jeans were snug and tapered all the way down to her ankle and a matching shirt that hugged her midriff with thin straps that disappeared under her coat. The coat was a statement all on its own. The white fabric shimmered, with a high collar, and sleeves that tapered down to the wrist. It was stitched to hug the waist and just barely touched the floor. It was reminiscent of his own white coat, without the outlandish detailing.

Seto stood there staring at the outfit for so long that Kisa's confidence ebbed. "You don't like it."

"Well… it's interesting." He stated carefully. "Why are you showing me this?"

"Concerts are as much about the spectacle as the music." She state matter-of-fact. "Haven't you ever been to a concert before?" Seto's silence answered for him. "Oh..."

He shrugged, "If you believe it's necessary. Though, I can't help but wonder why you've decided you should dress like me."

Kisa grinned, "Why not?"

"Touché; as long as the rest of them aren't dressing like that."

"Don't worry, it'll just be me." Kisa laughed. "I do look go though, right?"

Seto felt a smile turn his lips. "Yes, you do."

Kisa's face turned pink, but she smiled and continued to talk over her excitement for the event. Seto had to admit, the idea of Kisa wearing one of his coats, especially in a more private setting, made him more than a little hot under the collar.

xoxo

Kisa showed up to the dome on time the nest day and took the lead in instructing Seto's crew on where lights would go. Her professionalism shined and Seto was more than happy to stand aside and let her do as she pleased. She was impressive to watch and by the end of the evening, his employees were as scared of her as they were of him. It was close to seven before they were finished. Seto and Kisa stood in the entryway of the dome as the maintenance crew filed out. Kisa apologized as they passed, regretting keeping them all out for so long. When they were all gone and driving out of the large parking lot, Seto turned to her.

"How are you getting home? Did you park farther away?"

Kisa smiled up at him. "The buses should still be running." She laughed at the disbelief that blossomed on his face.

"You don't have a car?"

"Unfortunately not," she shrugged. "I run my consult business from home and my club is my home, so I haven't really seen the need to get one."

The thought of Kisa riding on a bus at night, as pretty as she was, made Seto very nervous. Anything could happen. All the horrifyingly bad possibilities flitted through his mind; kidnapping, assault, murder, rape.

"Let me drive you home." Seto didn't think twice about suggesting it.

"I don't want to put you out." Kisa shook her head. "It's already late. Your brother must be worried."

Seto shrugged. "He's used to me not coming home till after dinner. It's only recently that I've actually made the effort to be home on time."

"Oh? Why is that?" She asked curiously.

He smirked down at her. "Well, since I've met you."

There was that spread of pink across her cheeks again. Kisa shoved at his shoulder, not even knocking him off balance, as she laughed lightly, "Yeah right."

"I don't lie." Seto stated bluntly.

"Sure," she continued to laugh. "And I _didn't_ possibly make a few of your employees think about quitting today."

"Wouldn't be the first time," The corner of his lips twitched.

"You know, that doesn't surprise me. I hear you can be quite the hard ass." Kisa started heading towards the only car in the parking lot, Seto's, and he followed.

"Who says that?" Seto's brow lifted.

"You're kidding? You all but own the city."

He shrugged. "Well, perhaps that is something I should look into rectifying. I had never thought about owning a city before."

He had been joking, of course, and Kisa seemed to catch on to that. Her continued laughter was nice and made a pleasant warm sensation he wasn't familiar with spread through him. It was slowly occurring to Seto that Kisa, unlike any other person in his life besides Mokuba, was someone he _wanted_ around. She was someone he always wanted to stay around. It was an odd feeling, one he didn't quite have a solid name for. His affection for Kisara felt similar, but he had the feeling that it wasn't the same.

Seto watched Kisa move to the passenger side of the car, waiting for him to unlock the door. As he pulled his keys out of his pocket and hit the proper button on the remote, he wondered if he'd ever be able to tell the difference between the two feelings.

"Seeing as it's so late, I'll buy you dinner as well." Seto said as they opened their respective doors.

Kisa's head jerked up. "What? No! Now that is definitely too much."

"You haven't eaten in a while, right?"

Kisa looked down awkwardly. Her answer was obvious.

Seto sighed. "Then at least let me treat you to dinner. It's not as if I'm requesting it be a date."

He watched her flush darker. "Fine," She finally answered defiantly as she moved inside the car and shut the door behind her.

He smirked before getting behind the wheel. It was true; dinner between business partners like them was different than dinner as a date. It didn't mean that it wouldn't turn into one.

Seto couldn't remember enjoying a _business_ dinner more than he had that night. He had sat across from Kisa in the nice American style restaurant he'd taken them to. They'd chatted about work through soup and salad, moving on to siblings as their entrees were served. Seto's learned more about Kisa's sisters during that dinner. Miku really did play duel monsters and was a _fan_ of his.

Kisa laughed at the look on his face. "Oh, you know how teenagers are." She sipped her champagne. "Girls are especially bad, let me tell you. They see one attractive man and they go completely gaga. You should have heard the squeal she made when I told her I knew you. I thought I'd gone deaf in one ear."

"Oh?" Seto allowed himself to sound interested.

Kisa smiled at him. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You're an attractive man and you know it."

"You think I'm attractive then?" He smirked.

Her cheeks that were already tinged pink from the champagne turned a darker shade. She quickly changed the subject. However, Seto's smirk remained throughout the remainder of the meal. It was hard for it not to, especially when he kept catching her stealing glances at him when she was supposed to be concentrating on the food on her plate.

It was close to ten before Seto pulled his car up to the Dragon's Den. He let the car idle and put the gear in park.

Kisa cleared her throat. "Well, thanks for treating me to dinner. I had a nice time."

Seto had the feeling she knew what he did. Their impromptu dinner had turned into a date after all. "It was my pleasure."

She glanced at him, fidgeting with the strap on her purse. He raised a brow at her nervous fidgeting. Surely she'd been out with people before. How long had it been since the last time she'd been on a date? True it was Seto's first time in such a situation, but he wasn't showing his nerves. He let the nervous bubbling in his stomach stay there, using years of discipline to keep his hands still and his face controlled.

"Well… good night." Kisa turned away and opened her door.

Seto turned back to stare at the windshield as she placed one foot on the concrete. It wasn't like he'd expected anything to happen. It wasn't like it was an actual date. The word date had never even come up except for his original denial that that was what it was going to be. The whole _dating_ thing was something he'd have to look up when he got home. It wasn't like he was going to get anything useful out of Mokuba on the subject or, god forbid, Jounouchi. No, he'd have to find some source online or something. Perhaps the library was better.

Seto's passenger door didn't close. He was about to turn to ask her what was the matter, when she'd leaned over and placed a quick kiss to his cheek. He sat in his seat, hands on the steering wheel, stunned. The kiss barely lasted a second. When she pulled away he turned to look at her, but Kisa was already out of the car and was shutting the door behind her. The temptation to run after rose in his chest, but he suppressed it. What would that accomplish? He'd only known her for a month, if that. It may be considered old fashioned nowadays, but he didn't care. Kisa was a grown woman and deserved respect.

Seto waited until Kisa was safely through the side entrance before reaching up and placing a hand on his cheek. There was something strange welling inside his chest, it was warm and made him feel like he was floating. He'd never felt anything like it before. It was a completely different feeling than that affection he'd thought about earlier; stronger.

In a stupefied haze, Seto took the car out of park and drove home.

xoxo

The next week, the last week of September, the photo-shoot was held for the advertising materials. Seto attended out of respect. He sat in a chair next to the refreshment table, overlooking the activity before him in the same uninterested way he watched most everything. He'd come straight to the shoot from the office. The only difference in his appearance was the buds stuck into his ears, the thin wires hanging loosely down to connect to the phone in his hand.

Seto had had the music Kisa had given him on heavy rotation since she'd given him the disk. He'd popped the disk into his car on the way home that night. The whole day at the office the next day, he couldn't get the music out of his head. So, when he got home that evening, he burned all the songs onto his computer in order to put them onto his phone, where they were readily available. He found himself listening to them nearly everywhere he went.

Seto had never before been an enthusiast of music, he'd always believed himself above anything his peers may have been interested in. He had a business to run, he had card games to play; anything else was frivolous. But there was something about the music Kisa's band played that was different. Her voice, their playing; he couldn't get either one out of his head. It was frustrating, in a way. But, in the end, it didn't bother him as much.

The memory of Kisa and his' _date_ lingered in his mind. For the first time in memory, he felt like the teenager he was supposed to be. As usual, he held those feelings inside. It wouldn't be good if anyone noticed them. He did have his image to uphold. As Kisa and the rest of her band entered the studio, Seto felt the warm bubbly feeling rise in his chest again. He couldn't stop it and, to be honest, he didn't want to. If it was Kisa causing these feelings, he could deal with them.

Kisa and the rest of her band had showed up on time; costumed, styled, and ready. Seto almost wanted to sigh with how relieved he was that Kisa had told the truth. The rest of them were not dressed the same as she was. He supposed it was typical concert wear; frayed shirts and jeans, metal jewelry, large black boots. Kisa herself looked surprisingly elegant in the outfit she'd shown him. She'd styled her hair so that the locks that framed her face feathered back slightly. Her mid-thigh high boots laced over her jeans. She was obviously meant to be the centerpiece of the whole event. Seto couldn't argue with the decision. She was fit for the part; beautiful, energetic… beautiful.

He looked down at the screen of his phone as they started setting up. One of his favorites of Kisa's songs had started blaring in his ears and he looked back up to watch her as he listened.

_I was never right for the hero type of roll_

_I admit it_

_With my heart shivering in fear_

_I can see today's reflected in each past tear_

_Even so_

_It's been calling the heaven's to me_

_But I cannot hide all the emptiness in side_

_My fleeting heart_

_Once in my dreams I rose and soared_

_No matter how I'm Knocked around_

_Or beaten down_

_I will stand up restored_

_All of my love has yet to wake_

_I know your strength is what I like_

_You've got my back_

_And know that I've got yours_

_I have you to thank for lighting up the dark_

_Because you're here with me_

_Our dreams will soar free forever_

_I wanna always be with you_

_I give you everything I have_

Seto furrowed his brow as he watched Kisa, the song continuing to play in his ears. There was something off about her today. She wasn't as energetic as usual, her movements slower and more thought out. Her skin was paler and she looked tired. Perhaps she was just getting a cold. A cold would clear up in just a couple days, nothing to worry about. All she needed was to finish the photo-shoot so she could go home and rest. So Seto put it out of his mind.

They weren't able to talk much that day because of all the activity. He watched them leave in Yuri's car, not feeling at all worried. She had three friends who would most likely be bugging her about getting rest all the way home. She didn't need him doing it as well. Kisa was a grown woman after all.

At least he believed that until he received a call from Rena the next week. Kisa had collapsed during practice and had to be rushed to the hospital.

*Cliffhanger! Yup, I do that sometimes.

I wanna thank everyone for following and favoring my story. I'm sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up, but my second class for this semester started and I had a paper due pretty much right away. School comes first, unfortunately. I don't have a et writing or uploading schedule. I'll get chapters up as they finish them, just be patient with me.

Anyway, I borrowed the lyrics for Kisa's song from LeeandLie on YouTube. She does amazing work translating Anime music to English. This one is the first part to her translation of Crossing Field, the opening to Sword Art Online. I may end up borrowing some more lyrics, but I'm not going to put up the entire lyrics. That would just be wrong. You guy should go and listen to it if you want to know all of it.

I'm serious. Her stuff is amazing. Go to her page… like now. Listen to Crossing Field. You'll see what I mean.*


	8. Chapter 8

Seto couldn't get to Domino Memorial Hospital fast enough. He more than likely broke every speed limit and ran multiple stoplights and signs on the way. He didn't care. He spent the whole drive berating himself. He'd known Kisa hadn't looked well. He'd seen how tired, how pale she looked. He should've called her, should've visited and made sure she was alright. But no, he'd trusted her band mates to take care of her. He trusted them to make sure she took care of herself.

Lesson learned. They were obviously too incompetent to make sure their band lead was well. He'd have to do it himself. She was too important to trust to _those_ people.

Seto double parked and all but ran into the hospital. By Rena's information, Kisa had already been given a room and he was not to worry. Yeah, right. He bypassed visitor check in and headed straight for the elevators. He'd made enough donations to this hospital over the years for them to recognize his face and get out of his way. It didn't mean they didn't stare at him as he passed or the people in the elevator with him didn't cower against the walls to avoid his temper.

When the elevator doors dinged open, he rushed out, leaving a group of relieved visitors behind him. He hurried to the room Rena had indicated. He didn't think twice about throwing the door open when he got to it, didn't worry about startling those inside. Kisa needed to be lectured and her _friends_ deserved to be yelled at.

Rena was the only other one inside besides Kisa. She jumped with the door banged open. Kisa was lying on the hospital bed asleep, the heart monitor hooked to her beeping rhythmically, the IV in her arm slowly dripping fluids into her system. Suddenly Seto didn't have it in him to be angry anymore. Kisa looked worse than she had last week. Her skin had taken on a sickly pallor. The large dark bags under her eyes were prominent even as she slept. He stepped up next to her bed, heavily tempted to take the hand resting above the sheets.

"Mr. Kaiba?" Rena was staring at him, her surprise starting to fade. "I told you everything was taken care of. You didn't have to come."

"I did." Seto said fiercely, not taking his eyes of Kisa. "I had to check on her myself. I _obviously_ can't leave her care to you all."

Rena narrowed her eyes at him. "That's unfair. You don't even know what happened."

"Oh really?" Seto turned a glare on her, his anger flaring again. "She was obviously sick! Did any of you even think to force her to rest? Did any of you ever tell her to stop working?"

"Now look here!" Rena glared, keeping her voice low as to not wake Kisa. "You can't go and…"

She never got the finish. "What the _hell_ is he doing here!?"

They turned to the door. Akira had just stepped through, two cans of coffee in his hands. He was glaring at Seto.

"I called him to tell him what happened." Rena answered, her temper ebbing. "He came on his own."

"Get out!" Akira stomped towards Seto. "You can butt into our business, but you're not part of this. Get _out_!"

Seto stood his ground, fixing the older man with a glare of his own. "I'm not leaving."

"You…!" Akira was close to yelling.

Rena jumped up. "Stop it!" She kept her voice low. "You'll wake her up." She grabbed Seto's arm and pulled him towards the door. "Come on, Kisa wouldn't want the two of you fighting in her hospital room."

She was right, but it didn't stop Seto from throwing one more glare at the other man before he allowed her to lead him out of the room. Akira stomped after them and shut them out. Out in the hallway, there was silence between them for a long while. Rena stood before the closed door, chewing her lip, as if there was something she wanted to say but wasn't sure if she should.

Seto leaned against the wall next to the door, crossing his arms. "What did happen?" He still sounded upset, even to his own ears.

Rena sighed, but didn't face him. "We did tell her to stop and rest. We really did, every day. But she's as suborn as she is talented. She's always been that way. I know. I've known her since we were kids. It's always been: _I'm fine_ or_ I can do one more_ or_ don't worry, I got it taken care of_. Next thing we know, she's worked herself to exhaustion and she ends up in the hospital."

Seto slouched back, putting his full weight on the wall. It did sound like something Kisa would do. She was that kind of hardworking, dedicated, person.

Rena continued. "She's been trying to do a lot, especially recently. There are rehearsals whenever we can do them, her job, and she's trying to finish the upstairs. Plus she's been meeting with that new lawyer every once in a while to set up that new custody case for her sisters. It's worse now since we're trying to prepare for the concert. We've offered to help finish the upstairs, but she keeps turning us down. She's the worst kind of workaholic, really."

Seto nodded. When Rena didn't continue speaking, he did. "I… apologize if I was out of line."

"You should've let me explain originally." Rena cut her eyes at him.

"I apologized." He said simply. "Though, I believe _he_ may have been more out of line than I was." Seto nodded his head toward the closed door, indicating the man inside.

Rena let out an exasperated sigh. "You can't blame him really. Kisa and he used to date, so he's a bit attached. He hasn't quite gotten over her."

"What?!" Seto couldn't hide his outrage. The curled snake of jealousy awoke again and tightened around his insides. "_He_ went out with…"

"She didn't tell you?" Rena blinked. "Oh dear… I've opened my big mouth again." She sighed, cupping a cheek in one hand, looking put out.

"How could she want to date… _that_!?" Seto's outrage was turning to disbelief.

"Hey!" Rena glared at him, all pretense of exasperation gone. "Akira may act like an ass to you, but he's a good man. Kisa had dumped _him_. She never told me why. The fact that he can't completely let go is their problem, not ours."

For such a small woman, she carried attitude enough for two. Seto got the feeling that, while Kisa was the driving force behind their band, this woman was the backbone that kept them going.

"Hmm…" She looked at him curiously, a tonal shift Seto wasn't ready for. "Could it be that you're jealous?"

Seto pushed himself off the wall, thrown off by the bluntness of the question. "What was that?"

She looked amused. "You heard me. I think you're jealous. You're harboring a little crush on Kisa! That's so cute!" She grinned.

Seto turned on his heal, facing away from her to hide the indignant warming in his cheeks. He'd been called out, and so directly by one of Kisa's own friends. Rena, annoyingly enough, stepped up to his side, still grinning.

"Don't get embarrassed." From where Seto stood, she reminded him of a Cheshire cat. "If you want, I'll let you in on a secret."

Seto looked down at her, suspicious. "Why would you do that?"

Rena sighed again, "Because my best friend needs a kick in the ass sometimes. Otherwise she'll concentrate on what she _has_ to do instead of what she _should_ do."

"Is there a difference?" His brow shot up.

"Maybe, maybe not," Rena shrugged, that annoying smile still in place. "I can tell you that Kisa definitely _isn't_ gonna be getting back together with Akira."

"And why is that?"

"Because who Kisa likes isn't Akira. It's someone else."

It felt like Seto's heart had stopped beating. He struggled to breathe as he asked: "Who?"

Rena just winked at him. "Oh, I think you can come up with an idea in that genius brain of yours. But I didn't _actually_ tell you, so I _technically_ can't get in trouble." Seto wanted to ask more questions, but she was already getting ready to reenter the hospital room. "That's all I can tell you. So you might wanna leave before Akira comes out here to start something."

All Seto could do was nod.

Rena grinned. "Kisa's being released tomorrow afternoon. Don't worry; we'll make sure she stays in bed until she's good and rested. She'll be as good as new for the concert." She threw him one more wink before opening the door, slipping inside, and closing it behind her.

That, Seto decided, was a woman he could trust Kisa's well-being to.

On his way out of the hospital, Seto flipped open his phone to look up the number of a respectable florist. As he dialed, he seethed. So _that man_ believed he didn't belong. _He_ would rather Seto stayed away from Kisa because _he_ couldn't get over the fact that she'd dumped him. Well, Akira apparently knew nothing about Seto Kaiba. Seto wasn't going to go away just because a man nearly ten years older didn't want him getting close.

He sat in his car and ordered flowers to be delivered to Kisa's room in his name first thing the next morning. With that finished, he threw the phone haphazardly onto the passenger seat before starting home.

Telling Mokuba what had happened when he got home wasn't a pleasant experience. The boy fussed and worried until Seto sat him down and had one of the maids bring him a mug of hot chocolate. Even after the boy had been placated some, he continued to question.

"Why aren't you still at the hospital with her?"

Seto didn't answer right away. He'd moved the two of them out of the entryway and up to his private home office. He got up off the couch and moved over to his desk, pulling the chair out before sitting in it. He liked his home office. Unlike his office back at Kaiba Corp, it wasn't a sterile looking room. The furniture was dark woods and leathers sitting on dark blue carpeting.

When he couldn't delay his answer any longer, he sighed, "Because there seems to be a least one in her group who doesn't appreciate my involvement in their profession."

Mokuba was quiet for quite a few minutes. So long that Seto raised a brow at him. He could nearly see the gears turning in the boy's head as he pondered over his older brother's statement. Finally, Mokuba took another sip from his hot chocolate and smacked his lips.

"A romantic rival?" He'd asked the question innocently enough.

"No," Seto answered at once.

"Or do you just not consider him a rival?" Mokuba grinned.

"He's not worth a pointless rivalry." Seto let himself settle into his plush office chair. "It's been made clear to me that's she's not interested in him in that way."

"Really? You've got a chance then, yeah?"

Seto nodded silently, letting one finger twirl the cord of the locket around his neck. He'd been pondering so much over the past few weeks. He'd thought heavily about what he felt the night he'd dropped Kisa off after their impromptu dinner date. It had been, by far, the strongest he'd ever felt for anyone. Yet he still didn't understand what it was. So much of his life had been controlled over or demanded of, he'd never felt what many of his peers did. It was so much different then what he'd expected to feel for Kisara. Seto would give it more time; see where this pleasant burning in his chest would take him.

"Are you going to see her tomorrow when she gets out?"

He'd nearly forgotten Mokuba was still in the room. The teen was watching him with a kind of wizened understanding Seto didn't know he was capable of. There must have been some expression on his face, or something, which had betrayed where his thoughts had wandered.

Seto let the cord fall limp. "Yes, I suppose I'll have to."

"Have to or want to?"

"I don't know."

There had never been a moment over the years where Seto admitted to being wrong or not knowing something. To admit as such to Mokuba was different and a little scary. Everything that he'd been feeling lately was like that; new, exciting, and a little frightening. Mokuba must have understood, because he didn't ask any more questions on the subject for the rest of the night.

xoxo

Seto drove to the Dragon's Den the next afternoon, leaving his office early to do so. He'd wondered how much work he'd been neglecting since Kisa came into his life, but didn't dwell on it long. In the end, it didn't matter. He was the boss, so he could do as he pleased. Not that he was comfortable taking as much personal time as he had been. Their friendly business meetings had quickly turned into comfortable conversations over anything _but_ work. Seto Kaiba was perfectionist, among other things, but Kisa was starting to come first… even before the company.

Strangely enough, he was okay with that.

There was a car pulled up in front of the club when Seto arrived. He didn't worry as to whether it could be Akira inside or not. He didn't care. He wouldn't be moved this time. There was a small hope bubbling in his chest that Kisa would rather he stay instead of _that man_ anyway. And, as he parked, his mind raced to Rena's statement. Kisa liked someone other than Akira. Seto could take a guess as to whom, but even thinking about it gave him the strange sensation of not being able to breath.

The side entrance was unlocked, so he let himself in. There was no one about in the main area, so he headed directly for the door that led to Kisa's home. It was open a crack, letting the conversation taking place inside creep through. He reached out and laid a hand on the doorknob.

"You're sure?"

Rena's voice made him refrain from revealing himself. It seemed as if it was only the two girls today, of which Seto was thankful. From the sound of their voices, they were seated on the sofa a few feet away from his position.

"That's the millionth time you've asked me since _yesterday_." Kisa sound exasperated, "Yes, I'm sure. Please stop asking."

"I was only checking."

"For the millionth time…"

"But you can't just drop a bombshell like that and expect him to just go with it. Cause I can tell you one thing, after what happened in your hospital room yesterday, he's not going to take this lying down. He's going to know why you're doing it."

Seto heard Kisa sigh. "I know he's not, but what else am I supposed to do? I can't stand the two of them glaring continuously at each other whenever they're in the same room. It does a number on the nerves."

Seto lifted his hand away from the door, not wanting to accidently knock it open and reveal his eavesdropping. Curiosity had never really been a problem with him. Seto knew when to keep to his own business and when to butt into others. But he couldn't help himself this time.

"I just think it would be best if you waited. Save on the drama, you know? He doesn't need to know until _after_ the concert."

Kisa sighed again. "Maybe you are right."

There was a long pause where Seto was tempted to reveal himself, but Rena started talking again. "What about _him_?"

"Hm?"

"Seto."

The sound of his name made his heart falter. Seto heard the clink of something being set down on a table before Kisa answered. "Not yet. I will though… soon."

"Like when, on his birthday?" He could hear the frustration in Rena's voice.

"Seems like a good enough time to me. I figure after the concert, that way the stress is gone."

It was Rena's turn to sigh. "I doubt if _your_ stress is really gonna be gone. You still haven't heard back on when the custody hearing is gonna be. But, if that's really what you want. I know you told me all that stuff in confidence _years_ ago, and I still barely believe _any_ of it, but if you don't do it soon, I will."

What stuff was Rena referring to? Seto felt his anxiety tighten in his chest.

He didn't hear Kisa's answer, but he heard Rena get up from the couch only a moment later. "I'd better get back. Yuri works tonight, so he'll need the car."

"Okay, you'll come by again tomorrow?"

"Of course," There was pleasant humor in Rena's voice. "We can't leave you to your own devices anymore, can we?"

"I guess not…" Kisa laughed.

Seto could hear Rena's footsteps heading towards the door and his stomach dropped. If he didn't act quickly, he'd be caught. He put a hand back on the doorknob and knocked gently with the other. The two inside went quiet, surprised by the unexpected interruption.

"Come in," Kisa called out.

Seto took a breath to compose himself before pushing the door open. He caught the look of surprise on Rena's face change slowly into careful understanding; but the woman said nothing. Kisa retained a look of pleasant surprise and smiled at him as he entered.

"Seto, you didn't have to come and check on me." She said.

"I felt it was necessary. I wasn't able to stay very long yesterday, so I wanted to make up that time." It sounded professional enough, if a bit awkward. He couldn't have stated he'd been worried in a more round-a-bout way, even if he wanted to.

Kisa just kept smiling. "Well, if you felt it was _necessary_, then by all means."

He allowed himself a small smile back.

"Well! That's my cue to leave!" Rena said loudly, knocking away the pleasant moment as she moved to leave. "Kisa, you remember what I said."

"Go home, Rena." Kisa rolled her eyes.

"Alright, alright," Rena laughed. "Bye! And goodbye Mr. Kaiba."

Seto gave the other woman a polite nod as she exited and shut the door behind her. When she was gone, he turned back to the woman still sitting on the couch. "Did I miss something? Remember what she said about what?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing!" Kisa said quickly, waving a dismissive hand. "Girl stuff. You don't want to hear it."

He raised a brow at her, remembering the last time she'd dismissed a subject so quickly. His eyes immediately glanced to the band of tarnished metal around her wrist. He'd drop the subject for now. The vase on her dining table caught his eye, laden over with dozens of large white roses. It was a gaudy display, especially in the middle of Kisa's humble home. He'd spent a lot of money on the flowers, much more than he probably should have. If he'd known, he wouldn't have requested so many. Seto couldn't stop himself from grimacing at the site of them.

Kisa laughed at the look on his face. "What's with the look? I like them."

"It's a bit more than I expected."

"Well, it is you. If it was any less I'd think you were getting ill."

She had a point. Seto sighed and moved to sit beside her on the couch. "Speaking of illness, you never told me you had such a self-destructive habit."

Kisa smiled sadly, the lines worrying the tired pallor still present in her cheeks. "I know it's caused a lot of problems for everyone. I just get so into my work that I seem to forget to do the simple things."

"Like your health? That's not a simple thing." Seto stated incredulously.

She laughed lightly. "I guess not. There's just so much I want to get done. I've been living with a half-finished upstairs for months. I just want it done and off my mind. The rest of the furniture I ordered arrived a couple days ago too, so now there's a load of boxes sitting up there that need to be taken care of. I feel bad asking Rena or Yuri or Akira for help. Along with rehearsal, they've got jobs of their own. I hate to trouble them."

"It's worth troubling them so they don't worry." Seto narrowed his eyes at her.

Kisa nodded, "A decade and I'm finally starting to get that. I'm sorry for worrying you so much. I promise I'll be better in time for the concert."

"Why do you think I was worried?" The defiant edge to his voice wasn't as strong as he wished it had been.

"Oh, so you didn't barge into my hospital room yesterday and cause a scene? Not to mention that you almost got into _another_ fist fight with Akira." She gazed knowingly back at him.

"He had started it this time." Seto settled back against the couch cushions, crossing his arms.

Kisa laughed loudly. "He may have, but it doesn't erase the fact that you blew your way into the hospital, possibly knocking over multiple people and scaring dozens more just to check on me. I swear, people thought I was dying with how much of a hurry you were in."

Seto tried to think back to his walk up to Kisa's room, but he'd been in such a hurry he barely remembered it. "And if I was worried?"

"Seto," Kisa's voice was stern. When he didn't answer or look at her, she reached up and took his chin with surprising force and turned him to her. "You don't have to get all haughty just because you don't want to admit you were worried over my well-being. Seriously, it's just me."

Seto looked down, reaching up to pull her hand away from his face. It was true. He had less to hide from her than any other person in the world. No one but Mokuba knew him privately, knew the faces he could make away from the public eye. Not even Yugi, Jounouchi, or the rest of that group knew him the way Mokuba knew him.

He placed her hand on the cushion between them, keeping it there with his own. "I was worried about you." He kept his eyes down, focused anywhere but her face. "You're important…" His sentence faded away in the awkwardness of the moment.

She blinked, staring at him confused. "Important?"

Seto couldn't finish the thought that had spilled out from his lips unwillingly. He pulled his hand away from hers. Instead he settled to cross his legs and fold his hands on his knee. "Forget it. It was nothing."

Kisa cocked her head to the side, looking at him thoughtfully. "It didn't sound like nothing to me. What were you going to say?"

He felt like fidgeting; bouncing his knee, drumming his fingers, anything to distract himself from the thoughts running through his head. True, he didn't have to hide anything from Kisa, but this was too much. A man just doesn't come out and say something like that. But what did he know? Perhaps they did and he's just been in the dark about it. What was the issue with say it anyway? It was true, and Kisa would appreciate him being truthful. But it was also embarrassing and Seto Kaiba does _not_ do embarrassing. Then Seto glance sideways at her and saw her still staring at him with that look; that adorably curious expression. Even still slightly pale and sickly looking, Kisa was a sight to behold.

He sighed, unable to fight it any longer. "You're important… to me." He felt mortified warmth spread over his cheeks, but he didn't turn to hide it. He wanted to see Kisa's reaction.

He watched her blush beautifully, her eyes widening with surprise before they closed as she gave him a wide smile. "You're important to me too."

Now Seto was positive that his heart had stopped. He watched her, unable to look away as she opened her eyes. Kisa's gaze was unwavering as she looked back at him. The look in her eyes told him that there was so much she still wanted to say. Seto wanted to ask, but it was as if his throat had closed. He felt that pleasant warmth he'd experienced so many nights ago spread through him again. It was as if electricity was sparking between them, bring with it the urge to act, to do something, but he didn't know what.

Before Seto could stop himself, he was leaning forward. To his surprise, she was leaning to meet him. His mind should have been racing, but it was surprisingly empty. He was so caught up in the moment; it was all he could focus on.

But the moment was broken when Kisa had to turn away and yawn widely. Seto stared at her, not wanting to believe that it was over so quickly. When it subsided, she looked up at him and smiled awkwardly.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I guess I haven't gotten enough rest yet."

Seto couldn't help the gentle smile that crossed his features. "It's alright."

Kisa nodded. Seto watched her smiling face, basking in the warmth that spread from his chest to his fingertips. His suspicions on these feelings only grew and he became surer as to what they were. But now wasn't the time for such things, not with her being ill. Perhaps another time.

Like whenever she told him whatever she was hiding.

*Thanks for being patient everyone! V(^_^) Here's chapter eight at last. I hope you all like it.*


	9. Chapter 9

It seemed like before Seto knew it, it was time for the concert. The remainder of the month passed without any time to explore what had nearly occurred between Kisa and himself. Whenever they were in the same room together, it was either due to a meeting with the entire group or a rehearsal. It was always difficult to leave whenever their meetings ended, all but forced out by Akira's ever present stare. He wanted time alone with her to explore what he'd felt and that man clearly wasn't going to let him have it. Seto never argued. In fact, he was more determined than ever; but did not want to put Kisa into an awkward situation by causing a scene. Seeing the disappointment in her eyes as he left, knowing from her look that she more than likely wanted the same as he, left a pain in his chest that he was not used to. Seto wanted to hold his ground. But he wanted to know what Kisa wanted more. He'd only find that out by being patient.

Infuriating as it was to have to wait.

Seto stood in his closet the night of the concert, staring at himself in the mirror attached to the back wall. Well, glaring was a better description of what he was doing. He'd never felt so much stomach churning anxiety about attending an event before. He wasn't exactly anxious about the event itself. Kisa and he had had enough meetings over the past two months that it was planned to the nines. The anxiety came from thoughts of what he'd overheard weeks ago.

Seto reached up and straightened the collar of his white trench coat, trying to put it out of his mind. What were the chances that the subject of whatever Kisa was hiding from him would come up today? The both of them had such a full schedule; he doubted there would be any time. It was nearly three. He had to be at the Dragon's Den to pick them all up at four, get them to the Battle Dome by five, and have set up, them changed, and the sound check done for the concert to start at eight.

But there was still that bubbling hope in his chest that perhaps they'd be able to steal away a few precious moments for themselves.

It was almost unbelievable that Seto heard the shrill of the car horn from inside his closet; the windows of his bedroom closed tight against the ever chilling fall air. Seto couldn't refrain from rolling his eyes. He could imagine Mokuba having climbed into the driver's seat of their limousine in order to lay on the horn. It was true Seto had probably taken a few minutes too long to change, but musing emotional quandaries takes more than a couple minutes. Seto turned and exited his closet, letting the tail of his coat flair out behind him. The coat was dramatic, which was one of his favorite things about it.

Mokuba was waiting for him by the limo, leaning against it while the driver held the door open dutifully. Seto had gotten out of the habit of using regular drivers after he'd gotten a license himself. The control of driving a car yourself was better. He walked outside and saw his little brother roll his eyes before turning and getting into the back. Seto knew Mokuba would've preferred him to wear a more subtle outfit. He joined Mokuba in the backseat. The driver closed the door and started them off to the Dragon's Den.

It had been decided weeks ago that all of them, Seto included, would arrive at the battle dome together. The thrown together charity concert had become such a high profile event that it had become necessary for the group to travel guarded; especially after Rena and Yuri were accosted by press on the street a few weeks ago. Seto had hired special bodyguards for each of them until after the concert was over.

Seto could feel his anxiety growing in intensity as the limo pulled up in front of the club at five. That uncomfortable feeling of wanting to tap his fingers or bounce his knee coursed through him, but he suppressed it the best he could. Seto Kaiba does _not_ fidget.

The door opened and Kisa and her group got into the limo, dressed in comfortable street clothes and weighed down with garment bags. Their instruments and equipment had been delivered to the Battle dome late yesterday. Kisa settled herself next to Seto, sending his insides fluttering worse than they already were. She flashed a smile at him. Seto refrained from returning the gesture, acknowledging her with a nod before settling back against the seat. It would've been so easy to smile back, but not here, not in front of this group. That face was saved only for her, no one else. Seto saw her look at him curiously out of the corner of his eye, her head tilted to the side slightly. With a shrug he reached over and laid his hand on hers, if only briefly. He felt her fingers wrap around his in those few seconds of contact and the pressure from them was pleasantly comforting.

It would have to be enough.

Seto listened to them as they chatted excitedly the whole way to the Battle Dome, Mokuba joining in the conversation the best he could. A good number of excited patrons were already lined up at front of the entrance, waiting for the concert to start with tickets in hand. As the limousine passed on its way to the back entrance, many called out and waved, even though they could not see through the tinted glass. Kisa was leaning against the window, watching the people as the limo rounded the corner, excitement sparkling in her eyes.

"Hey," Mokuba leaned forward to see past Seto, being seated on his other side. "Have you guys ever played a concert like this before?"

"Not something this big." Yuri shrugged. "The Den's the biggest place we've ever played so far."

Seto turned his eyes back to Kisa. Her back was to him as she gazed out the window at the crowd and the expanse of the dome. He thought he could see her fingers tremble slightly against the glass. He wished he could tell whether it was from excitement or fear.

Just as Seto had thought, there wasn't much time for anything besides work before the concert started. Kisa and her group set about setting up their instruments as soon as they got on stage, testing their tuning and the frequency of their microphones. Mokuba, seated in the operations booth above, took over control of the lighting. The process took almost the entirety of the allotted three hours. Forty-five minutes before the concert was set to start they retired to their assigned dressing rooms, which were merely holding rooms that were usually used for duelists waiting for their matches. In the meantime, Seto's staff oversaw ticket collection and ushered the patrons into their seats.

With ten minutes left before the start of the concert, Seto leaned in the doorway that led out into the dome. The din of the crowd was near deafening. The excitement in the air was almost palpable, infectious. Seto could feel it like electricity sparking across his skin. In only a few minutes Kisa and the others would be on that stage and he'd be able to really see what they were capable of.

"Mr. Kaiba," Rena's voice made him turn around. She was dressed in her costume, ready to perform. "Sorry to sneak up on you."

"What is it?" Seto said, annoyed, relaxing back against the wall. He didn't have time for this. Kisa would go on stage soon and he didn't want to miss anything.

"Excuse me," Rena rolled her eyes. "But Kisa wants to see you."

Seto's head jerked back to her. Kisa wanted to talk to him so close to show time? The sour bubble of anxiety rose in his chest again. Seto swallowed it, contained it. He gave Rena a curt nod before walking past her and to Kisa's dressing room.

The rooms were in that same hallway, not far from the stage. Seto stopped at Kisa's door, her name written on a temporary plaque hung across it. He took a deep breath before reaching a hand up and knocking lightly on the door.

"Come in!" Kisa called from the other side.

Seto entered, shutting the door behind him. Kisa was in her costume as well, stunning in the long shimmering white coat; her hair trimmed and gelled so it flared out around her face as well as around her shoulders.

"You wanted to see me." He stated.

"Seto!" Kisa smiled wide and walked up to him. "Yeah, I did. I wanted to see you before I went on stage."

"What for?" Seto crossed his arms over his chest, uncomfortable. Would Kisa tell him what she was keeping secret now, right before she was to go on stage? Was that smart? "Kisa…" He couldn't let her do that and leave her with reservations before her performance.

"I wanted to give you your birthday present." She smiled.

"My…" That was unexpected. "Kisa, you don't have…"

"I know, but I wanted to." Kisa shrugged her shoulders. "You wouldn't deny a lady the pleasure of giving you something for your birthday." She smiled sweetly.

Seto averted his eyes awkwardly. There was no harm in it, was there? But this day wasn't about him, it wasn't supposed to be. His eyes moved back to find her standing there, waiting patiently, that smile still in place. No, he supposed there really was no harm in it if it was from her.

"If you insist," he sighed, feigning exasperation.

Kisa stepped even closer, nearly closing the distance between them. Seto refrained from stepping backwards from the invasion of his personal space. He watched, curious and more than a little concerned, as she lifted herself up on her toes, still slightly too short even with her heeled boots.

The closer she came, the more Seto noticed her soft shimmering eye shadow, the glistening gloss on her lips, and the pleasant brush of her breath across his face. She was so close now he could smell the subtle aroma of her perfume, which he'd never noticed before. He watched her bright aquamarine eyes close as the inches decreased between them. Seto had to fight the urge to do the same, not wanting to miss a second of this moment. But he couldn't fight it as he felt the slight brush of her lips on his in the prelude to a kiss. The thought passed through Seto mind that _this_ was the best birthday he'd ever had.

At least it would have been if Kisa's dressing room door had not opened without warning, ruining the moment and Seto's least favorite of the group walked inside. "Kisa, it's time. We're… waiting…"

Akira's voice trailed off and there was a good few seconds of awkward silence; Akira staring at them, Kisa was staring around Seto's shoulder, Seto craning his neck to stare over his own shoulder. Then it was gone when Kisa's heel's clacked harshly on the tile floor, making Seto and Akira flinch involuntarily.

Kisa fixed the man with a glare of her own, one Seto was sure could rival one of his. "Get out."

"Kisa… you can't be serious…" Akira said incredulously. "_Him_… of all people?"

"I'm not having this conversation with you." Kisa's voice held a deep dislike that Seto hadn't even known her voice could carry. "_Get out_."

Akira didn't argue this time. He turned to leave, shooting Seto one more withering look over his shoulder before exiting, leaving the door open behind him. Kisa gave an exhausted sigh and Seto turned his attention back to her.

She looked up at him apologetically. "I'm sorry. I guess we'll have to finish that thought later."

"It's fine." Seto sounded as if it was, but it really wasn't. He cursed Akira for the interruption.

He followed Kisa out of the dressing room and back down the hall. He watched her lead the three members of her group up onto the stage to the roar of the crowd. She sparkled under the spotlights. It was an image of her Seto would never forget, along with the tingling of his lips from their almost kiss.

xoxoxo

He'd never been to a concert before. He could swear that the deep thumping of the base drum was going to make his heart burst from his chest; that the notes played from Kisa's guitar had been sending the little hairs on his arms standing on end. The noise and music and screaming was near deafening during the concert, making his ears ring in the silence of the limousine afterwards.

Not that the limo was completely silent. Kisa and her group chatted excitedly, voices horse, during the entire drive. Akira's apartment turned out to be closest. The older man was adamant about staying in the vehicle until Kisa got home, but she all but pushed him out the door. Seto had watched the exchange quietly, curiously. When Rena and Yuri left next and the three of them were finally alone for the ride back to the Dragon's Den, Kisa slouched back against the seat and sighed, a smile still plastered on her lips. Seto watched her, momentarily amazed that she was still conscious after all the energy she'd expended on stage. At least, he did until Mokuba elbowed him in the side.

He looked down at his little brother, eyes narrowed. The boy only jerked his head in Kisa's direction, looking at him expectantly.

Seto cleared his throat as he turned back to Kisa. "You did well tonight."

Kisa barely moved her head to smile at him, too tired for any more movement then that. "Thank you. That was such a rush! Nothing beats all those people yelling and cheering for you."

He received another elbow in his right side and Seto turned and glared at his brother. Mokuba only jerked his head in Kisa's direction again with a meaningful look on his face. Seto only glared back and turned away defiantly, crossing his arms. He wasn't about to say or do anything even slightly embarrassing in front of Mokuba. Kisa and he would have their moment, now just wasn't it.

The limo finally stopped in front of the Dragon's Den and the driver opened the door for Kisa to exit. She sat up and moved to the edge of her seat, but didn't leave. Instead, she turned to the other two.

"Would you like to come in for a minute?" She asked.

Seto opened his mouth to decline, but Mokuba beat him to it. "Sure!"

"Mokuba, it's almost midnight." Seto said sternly.

"Please!" The boy begged.

"Just this one time shouldn't hurt." Kisa interrupted before he could decline again.

Seto turned back to her. Her eyes pleaded with him. He gave an irritated sigh. "Fine, but we're not staying long."

Mokuba gave and excited cheer and hurried out of the limo before Kisa, towards the warehouse doors. Kisa gave Seto an apologetic smile before following. Seto followed her. He stopped momentarily to tell their driver to keep the engine running before continuing to the side door, which Kisa was unlocking. She opened it and flipped on the lights as they walked inside.

Mokuba gazed around in excited wonder, "So cool!"

"Thank you. You'll have to ask your brother to bring you around during operating hours." Kisa closed the door behind them.

"Yeah, I will." Mokuba grinned up at Seto as she led them through to the back, turning on the set of lights in the living room.

Kisa made her way to the stairs. "I'm going to go upstairs and change. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

"I will!" Mokuba bounded over to the couch and sat down.

Once Kisa was up and out of earshot, Seto turned to his little brother. "What are you doing?"

"What? She said to get comfortable." The sly grin on his face betrayed his intentions.

"I know she did. That doesn't explain you speaking over me."

Mokuba groaned, obviously frustrated. "Come _on_, Seto. You gotta do _something_. She's awesome! If you don't, she might start dating someone else."

"And what else do you suppose I do?" Mokuba's dating advice had been interesting so far, and perhaps a little helpful if he was being truthful.

"Yeah, right. You bought her flowers when she was sick and you took her to dinner _once_, and that was weeks ago!"

"Mokuba…"

"Have you even asked her to be your girlfriend?" Mokuba leaned over the arm of the couch to get a clear view of his brother, who was still standing defiantly by the door.

"Me ask her…" The concept had never even occurred to him. Kisa and he had barely known each other for two months, so it never even crossed his mind that that was an option. Seto had been content to keep things how they were. Why make them more awkward by making them exclusive?

"Wow," Mokuba said before Seto could come up with a suitable response. "I never realized you were so socially awkward, Big Brother." The teen almost sounded sad. "I wish I'd noticed before."

Seto's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to retort, but he never got the chance.

"Seto! Can you come up for a moment?" Kisa's voice drew his eyes up the stairs, to the landing he couldn't see.

He turned back to Mokuba before he ascended, "She better not have overheard any of that." He hissed at him.

Mokuba merely shrugged.

Seto had seen the upstairs in its completed state only a few days ago. Kisa office had been moved to the landing; her desk taking up one wall, framed by book shelves filled with books and a variety of knick-knacks. The landing floor was wooden, while each bedroom was carpeted. The bedrooms now had doors and were fully furnished with beds, dressers, and shelves for the girls. Kisa had worked hard to make the place a suitable home for herself and her sisters. Now all that was needed was the sisters and Kisa's little home would be complete.

Kisa met Seto on the landing, dressed in what he assumed was her regular night clothes; bare feet, long plaid pants, and a cotton shirt that was two sizes too big. She'd washed her face too, looking fresh and ready for bed. She seemed so much smaller, like nothing more than a child wearing her parent's clothing. It was still hard to believe that she was so much older than him.

"I know you want to get going," she shuffled her bare feet on the smooth wooden floor. "But I wanted to finish giving you your birthday present before it's not your birthday anymore."

Seto suppressed the heat rising in his cheeks, trying to keep his face as straight as possible. "I didn't realize there was more to it than that."

She laughed lightly. "You're kidding, right? That wasn't even close to a real kiss! Haven't you ever..."

His eyes darted away, hiding his embarrassment the only way he knew how… avoidance. It didn't work with Kisa, however. When his eyes wandered back to her, her eyes were wide with realization. Seto cursed silently to himself. Now he had thoroughly embarrassed himself in front of her, one of the things he most wanted to avoid. She'd probably kissed quite a few people, being her age, including that Akira bastard.

The thought sent Seto's insides churning sickly. No, don't think about that. What did it matter if Kisa had already had her first kiss? It didn't, especially not to him.

Seto felt his face harden and he turned away. "It's fine, nothing you need to worry about. I should get Mokuba home. We can talk another time-"

Kisa pulled him back, her strength once again surprising as she grabbed his retreating arm and pulled. He faced her, surprised, only to be met with her determination pinning him where he stood. She reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face, cupping his cheeks gently. Seto thought he felt her thumbs brush the apples of his cheeks slightly, her fingers brushing through the hair around his ears. It was almost like she was inspecting him.

"I can see from the crease between your eyebrows that you're thinking too hard." She said softly. "Don't start thinking that you're inadequate just because you're twenty and haven't kissed anyone yet. Yes, I'm older and more experienced, but that doesn't mean a damn thing." Seto watched her smile shyly. "The only one I've wanted to kiss lately is _you_."

Seto's brain went numb. It was an odd sensation he'd never felt before; the inability to think. His nerve ends felt like they were on overdrive. The gentle touch of Kisa's fingers on his face was enough to overload his brain.

What was this sensation?

"Why?" It was the only question Seto's overstimulated brain could put together.

Kisa looked over at her desk clock awkwardly. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you. I'm running out of time though if I want to do this before you're birthday's over." She met his eyes again. "Will you let me?"

Seto nodded slightly. He wanted it.

He didn't fight her hands as she pulled him down to meet her as she rose onto her toes again. The buildup didn't seem as long this time. As her mouth press full onto his Seto's eyes closed, savoring the feeling. Kisa smelled different, fresh, like she'd washed away her perfume.

Then she opened her mouth slightly and he felt the gentle swipe of her tongue against his lips. It was brief, as if she was asking permission. Seto didn't hesitate to open his mouth to her and let her take the lead, honestly not knowing what he was doing. He first noticed the taste of peppermint then nothing else as his brain shorted out again. Seto's hands wrapped around her waist and let himself melt into it as Kisa's hands slid past his ears to tangle her fingers through his hair.

Kisa broke their kiss, lowering herself so her feet were flat on the floor again. Seto nearly followed her in a daze until his brain kicked back on. He straightened with an awkward clearing of his throat, Kisa's fingers sliding from his hair to rest on his shoulders. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his breathing before attempting to speak. But his eyes never strayed from Kisa's, who looked back at him calmly, her cheeks tinted pink.

"Happy Birthday, Seto." She said softly, fingers playing with his high collar involuntarily.

All he could do was nod; not wanting to ruin this moment he'd found himself in, but knowing it had to end too soon. He didn't want to leave, but Mokuba had to be returned home. Kisa let him hold her for a while, until Seto forced his hands off her hips; even walked them back out to the limousine.

Seto's hand found hers again briefly before he climbed inside, feeling her hand squeeze his lightly again. "I'll call you."

Kisa smiled and nodded.

Seto had kept his eyes on her through the window until the limo rounded the corner and she was out of sight. He lounged back against the leather seat, oblivious to his little brother's curious stares, and closed his eyes.

Yes, Seto decided. This was the best birthday he'd ever had.

*Hey everyone, thanks for sticking with me. I know it's been a long while since I've put another chapter up. I've been busy with college, so I have had as much time as I would've liked to work on this. And I'm entering into my final two weeks of class now, so I'm busier than ever; along with trying to move into a place with my fiance. Just keep hanging in there. I'm gonna get chapters written and posted when I can.

Now, I've had comments saying that people don't quite agree with my characterization of Seto. Just hear me out. People change as they get older. you have no idea how pissed off I was when Seto appeared in Yu-Gi-Oh GX/XD/Annoying Kids Who Aren't Yugi... I don't care, I didn't much care for the show, and he was supposed to be _ten_ years older but there was _nothing_ different with his character. Seriously, he's supposed to be 28! That's three years older than me! That's a long bloody time for absolutely nothing to happen in someone's life besides opening a school. No marriage? No kids? Not a single mention of what Mokuba is doing?

Yeah, I was pissed. So I guess this is kinda my "No character development my ass! Here's character development!" thing.

Sorry for the rant. Hope you enjoy ^_^*


	10. Chapter 10

Seto slept restlessly that night, thinking far too much to be able to rest effectively. He couldn't decide whether it was because of the ceaseless, though pleasant, warming in his chest or the inability to get the feel of Kisa's lips out of his mind. There had been nights before where he'd not been able to sleep, too restless or stressed to be able to, but this was different. Seto turned over onto one side only to swear he could feel the ghosting of Kisa's fingers across the skin of his cheeks and scalp. Then he'd turn over to the other side, only for his mind to wander to the aroma of her perfume in the closeness and privacy of her dressing room.

Frustrated, Seto sat up and glared over at his alarm clock. The digital numbers barely read past three-thirty. They did nothing to ebb his overextended emotions. Having had enough, Seto flung the sheets from his person, hoping that perhaps a cold shower would finally cease the turmoil and allow him to sleep.

He perhaps hoped too much.

Seto stood under the stream of his shower minutes later, but his mind still wandered… worse than before. He leaned against the icy tiles, too cold on his bare back, but Seto was too preoccupied to notice. He just wanted it to stop; the strange feelings in his chest whenever Kisa was even thought about, the way his mind wandered whenever she was around. He wasn't himself with her. At least, he was different than usual.

Seto let the spray of the shower wash over him, closing his eyes against it.

In such a short time Kisa had become such an important person in his life. Not above Mokuba by any stretch of the imagination, but important enough that he was willing the make time for her, to take huge chucks out of his days if it meant being able to spend a just a little while in her presence. Seto had originally pursued Kisa because of her resemblance to Kisara, because there was something in her that reminded him of her. Over the past two years he'd desperately wanted just a piece of Kisara's presence back, however small. But the resemblance wasn't what kept him coming back.

What made Seto want to want to see her was Kisa herself; her smile, her laugh, the way she made him feel things he never thought he could. She was as much her own individual, a completely different image from the woman he remembered, as she was like her. She was beautiful, intelligent, kindly, determined, energetic, talented, professional; so much more than Seto could even describe.

It was in the solitude of his shower, with his weight pressed back against the cold tiles, water soaking into his hair and skin, that Seto came to terms with himself. There would be no more fighting what these feelings were, no more putting off admitting what he knew to be true.

Seto Kaiba, _the_ Seto Kaiba, was falling for Kisa Miyoshi.

xoxoxo

Seto sat in his home office that afternoon, turning his cell phone over and over in his hand impatiently. He'd told Kisa that'd he'd call her, so he would, just not as soon as he would have liked. He believed that she would most likely be sleeping in that morning, as exhausted as she had been from last night's activities. Waiting until later in the afternoon would be better; allowing her enough time to wake up and relax before Seto called her for what would more than likely be and overly awkward conversation.

He reached up with his free and rubbed the sleep out of one of his eyes. Seto had still not been able to sleep well, even after his _coming to terms_ in the shower at nearly four that morning. He'd known what he'd wanted to do, but the thought of doing it made him feel ill. He'd never asked a girl out before; had never even _thought_ about asking a girl out before. Their impromptu dinner date all those weeks ago had been more something he had felt he _should_ do than something he'd truly _wanted_ to do; mainly because of Mokuba's suggesting. Now he was about to follow another piece of advice from his little brother.

On the thought of Mokuba, the boy had made himself scarce this afternoon. He'd drilled Seto over and over that morning about what had happened and Seto's mind had been too exhausted to fight it. The boy didn't seem all that surprised, much to Seto's concern. Once again he received urgings to ask her out and this time Seto had truly considered it. Which was why he was where he was sitting now; in the quiet of his office, waiting for the clock to tick down.

He was thankful for the quiet. It gave him the atmosphere he needed to think, not that he knew what he was supposed to say in the first place. Seto wasn't flippantly casual like Jounouchi; so a "Hey, would you like to go out some time," just sounded unnatural, even in his head. He'd have to come up with something though, something that at least _sounded_ like it was something he'd say, but nothing mortifying. The whole situation made him wish he had more experience in this type of thing. At least then he'd know what to say in situations like these.

Business and board meetings he could handle; girls and dating… not a chance.

As the clock on his desktop computer inched towards one in the afternoon, Seto woke up his phone and scrolled through his contacts list. It was very short, which didn't bother him. With Kisa's name found, Seto stared at it for a few moments until the screen went dark.

What was there to talk about, really? What does a man say to a woman the day after she'd given him his first kiss? Was there a protocol he was missing somewhere? Was he supposed to wait a couple days? Would calling not even twenty-four hours later make him seem, god forbid, desperate?

Seto scowled at his reflection in the black screen of his phone. He was thinking too much again. This type of situation couldn't possibly be as complicated as he was making it out to be. Kisa had said it first after all. She'd _wanted_ to kiss him.

Without another second thought, Seto woke the screen on his phone again and dialed Kisa's number. It took longer than usual for her to answer and Seto found himself drumming his fingers on his knee impatiently.

True, Seto Kaiba isn't supposed to fidget. But Seto Kaiba wasn't supposed to find himself falling in love either.

"Hello?" Kisa had finally answered after what seemed like too long, but her voice was less than comforting. Her usually soft, melodic voice was broken and hard to hear.

Seto half hoped that someone else had picked up the phone. "Kisa?" But that didn't stop him from sounding concerned.

"Seto! Oh, I'm sorry." It was Kisa. "I know I sound terrible. I hope you can hear me alright."

"I can hear you fine. I did not realize you'd be left in such a state after last night. I'll make this fast so you can go back to resting your voice."

"It's okay." She sounded happy, but it was hard to tell with how damaged her throat was. "I was actually hoping you would call me today."

"Oh, you were? Why is that?" Seto made himself sound casual, but his insides were doing flips against his will.

He heard her giggle weakly, making him smile. "You know why. Don't play dumb, it doesn't suit you."

"Alright, if you insist I not beat around the bush." Seto heaved a sigh. "I was actually calling you regarding what happened last night after the concert."

"I see," He could hear amusement thick in her tone. "Well, what about last night? I seem to remember that you never told me if you liked your present or not."

It took a while for Seto to build up an answer. He'd opened his mouth several times, only to close it as he fought back the heat rising in his face. "…I did."

She was blunt sometimes too, he couldn't forget that.

"I'm glad."

Seto felt his chest constrict at the gentleness of her tone, prevalent even through the loosing of her voice. This was it, the moment he'd been building himself up to nearly all night. If he didn't do it now, he probably never would, and Mokuba would never let him live it down. As unbearable as it was to hold off for another second, Seto forced himself to take a deep calming breath.

"Kisa," he started. "I was curious…" No, that didn't sound right. "I was wondering if you would be interested…" That was closer. "I had been thinking…" That didn't sound like him at all!

This was stupid. He was babbling like some stupid girl. Why couldn't he just come out and say it? For the first time, Seto did wish he had Jounouchi's flippant happy-go-lucky attitude. At least then it would be over and he could spend the rest of the afternoon wallowing in his embarrassment.

Curse his social ineptitude.

Kisa's laughter on the other end of the line broke through Seto's cloud of frustration, leaving him confused. It didn't sound like the same cruel or hurtful laughter he used to direct at Jounouchi. It was lighthearted and understanding, at least as much as it could in its current state, even if it made her cough afterwards.

Seto waited until her fit stopped before saying anything. "What's so funny?"

"Sorry, I don't mean to laugh." She paused to clear her throat. "Please, take as long as you need. I won't say anything until you're done, I promise."

He wasn't completely convinced, but decided to take her up on her offer. Seto took a few extra seconds to gather his thoughts, finding it easier with her waiting patiently for him on the other end.

Seto cleared his own throat before starting again. "Well, I was interested in what you thought about us becoming exclusive."

There was a pause on Kisa's end and, for a moment, Seto believed he'd worded his offer too broadly.

"That's quite a formal way to say that you want me to be your girlfriend."

"Did you really expect me to say it any other way?"

"I suppose not." Seto heard her sigh.

"Then what's your answer?"

He heard her work up into a laugh again, though not as long this time. "You really have to ask? I'd love to date you."

Seto felt his excitement course through him, more intense than anything held ever felt before. He had the sudden urge to express his excitement, to drop the phone and get up and do… something.

"I probably won't be fit to go out for a few days," Kisa said though his haze. "But I think I should be okay to go out by Halloween."

Seto felt his excitement deflate slightly. "I see."

She laughed again. "Don't be sour. I'm not saying you can't see me before then. All I'm saying is that our first official date out should probably wait a few days."

He nodded; he would've suggested it anyway. "Alright. I'll stop by in a couple days. In the meantime, you decide where you would like to go when you're better."

"I will." Kisa sound happy; more than happy, she sounded excited. "You have a good day, Seto."

"You too," He wanted to continue their conversation, to make it last longer, but she had to rest. "Good bye."

"Bye," and she hung up.

Seto sat in his office chair, phone still to his ear for a few second after Kisa had already hung up. When he finally pulled away, he tossed the phone onto his desk haphazardly, not caring that it jarred a neatly piled stack of papers. He leaned back as far as the chair would let him, a satisfied smile spread across his lips.

And he swore he could feel his heart throbbing all the way down to his toes.


	11. Chapter 11

Seto was pissed; perhaps more than pissed.

It had been a couple days since Kisa and he had agreed to start dating. He had driven over to the Dragon's Den after work like he said he would, only to find Akira outside the closed warehouse doors. The older man sat cross legged on the concrete, back against the metal framing of the warehouse wall with his long leather coat pooling around him. There was an oddly blank expression on his face as Seto walked up, fully intending to ignore the red head and foul cigarette smoke he was emitting from the stick in his mouth.

Seto drew his long grey wool coat tighter around him against the icy October breeze as he approached.

"It's locked." Akira said suddenly as Seto drew level with him.

Seto glared down at the man before reaching out and trying the handle anyway. It didn't budge.

"I told you. Kisa locked it."

"And why would she do that?" Seto didn't hide his frustration at being locked outside with the other man, whom he greatly disliked.

Akira pulled the cigarette from his mouth and blew a large cloud of gray smoke up a Seto. "She kicked me off the band." The man sounded frighteningly calm. "It's your fault too."

Seto irritably waved away the arid cloud before it reached his face. "How is that my fault?"

The other man scoffed, sticking his cigarette back between his teeth, "cause you just _had_ to walk in here that day. You come waltzing into our lives and Kisa suddenly can't stop talking about you. I don't get it. Kisa never used to get that excited over someone before, not even me. What makes you such hot shit?"

Seto didn't appreciate the choice in language. "Don't know, perhaps she decided she was better off with someone farther up on the food chain." His voice dripped with loathing.

"Yeah right," The other man didn't even sound fazed by the insult as he finished off his cigarette. "She never tells me anything. Rena knows more about her than I do and _I_ was the one who was with her for all those years. She never even gave me a good reason for why she dumped me."

Seto watched Akira flick his dead cigarette away, watching its path as it hit the concrete and rolled to finally come to a rest by the front driver's side door of Seto's black sedan.

"But you know what? I stuck around after she dumped me cause I cared too damn much. I believed that after she'd had a while to think and get her shit in order that she'd want to get back together." Seto watched him pull a pack of cigarettes out of his coat pocket. Akira held the pack out to Seto, who shook his head in refusal. "Suit yourself."

"Why are you telling me this?" Seto asked suspiciously.

Akira didn't answer right away. He tapped the pack until a cigarette popped out and grabbed it with his teeth before storing the pack away again. "Cause you need to know what you're getting yourself into. Kisa's a good woman; don't get me wrong, but she's got secrets. She only confides in Rena, and getting anything out of Rena about Kisa's _real_ secrets is harder than pulling teeth from a bull's mouth." He pulled a lighter out of a different pocket and lit his fresh cigarette. "Trust me, I tried once. Sure Rena will tease unimportant shit, make you think she's letting you in on something big, but she's not. Unless Kisa tells her otherwise, I'll bet Rena will take Kisa's secrets to the grave."

Right, Kisa's secret. Seto remember the conversation he'd overheard. There had been something Kisa was supposed to tell him after the concert, but the subject had never come up. Or, had Kisa done that on purpose? Had she purposefully delayed telling him so their moment together wouldn't be ruined? But there was the other thing too:

"_Why?"_

"_You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."_

What did she think he wasn't going to believe?

"Look, I may not like you, but I don't dislike you enough that I wouldn't tell you to watch yourself." Seto was driven out of his musings as Akira continued to talk. "There are just certain things that are off about her."

"And what is that?" He raised a brow at the older man, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"That magazine article a few months back that Kisa had done an interview for said she was born and raised in Hokkaido. I know for a fact she wasn't. Her family moved to Hokkaido when she was in primary school. I remember. I was there."

"What does it matter?"

"It matters cause she's been lying to everyone. It's what she told everyone in Tokyo and it's what she's telling everyone here. I don't know where she moved from, but she's trying to hide it. You can't look me in eye and tell me there haven't been times where you've felt Kisa's been hiding things from you."

Akira was right. Seto could think back to at least two times where he'd had the distinct feeling that Kisa had been trying to deflect him from something or had been trying to avoid answering a specific question. But Seto wasn't going to admit it to the man's face.

"Once again, I don't see how it matters." He crossed his arms defiantly. "It's Kisa's business. If she wanted to tell me about it, then she would."

"Alright, kid," Akira said, a challenging tone in his voice as he finally glared up at Seto. "You really trust her that much?"

"You don't?"

"I've gone and run out." Akira moved to stand up, brushing dirt from his coat. "I've had enough of hanging on and being lied to. If you're any of the genius you claim to be, you'll force the truth out of her now before the two of you _really_ start getting serious."

Seto watched, bewildered, as the other man started walking away. "That's it?"

Akira stopped, barely turning to look over his shoulder at Seto. "Was there something else?"

"You're just going to give up and leave like a coward?"

Akira laughed, not cold or dismissive; more like he found Seto's accusation funny. "That's a riot! Me a coward! That's a good one!" He turned back and stepped close enough to clap a hand on Seto's shoulder. "You know what, kid? I don't think I gave you enough credit. You're a regular comedian."

Seto scowled and shoved Akira's hand away. "Forget it, just keep walking."

"Right, I'll be sure to get right on that." Akira grinned around his cigarette. "Look, I'm not leaving because I'm scared or anything. Kisa's made it perfectly clear that she doesn't need or want me around anymore. Why would she need me when she's got you, right? That's probably what you wanna hear."

"I thought you cared about her." Seto sneered.

"I do man, believe me, I still do. I've been holding out for a _long_ time, waiting for Kisa to take me back. But it's been like she'd been waiting for something. Kinda like _she's_ been the one holding out, you know?"

"Odd…" Seto said absently, thoughts starting to swirl. "How long ago did she dump you?"

Akira had to think, chewing the filter of his cigarette as he did so. "Would have been… around six years ago? I remember the day, now that I think about it. I'd gotten back to our apartment late, around nine I think cause the nightly news was just wrapping up. She always used to sit and watch the news every night, said it was cause she wanted to stay current. Wasn't five minutes after I'd gotten in the door that she told me we had to break up."

"That you had to or that she wanted to?"

Akira narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Seto's question. "I'm pretty sure she said _had to_. Like I said, she never gave me a reason."

Seto nodded quietly, thinking. Around six years ago had been when he'd launched his takeover of Kaiba Corporation from his stepfather, causing the man's suicide. The event and Seto's face had been all over the news, over every region of Japan. But he'd only been about twelve back then.

Could seeing his face on television, even back then, have prompted Kisa's breakup? If so, why?

"Is that it? Cause I need to get home and pack my shit so I can move out of this God forsaken city."

Seto looked back at him, not realizing that he'd looked away as he thought, "One more thing."

"Just one."

"Kisa's bracelet…"

"You've noticed too? Yeah, she doesn't take it off. She wears it to bed, in the shower; I've even seen her wear it swimming once, and I've seen most girls get uppity it they accidently wear their earrings in the pool. She said it was a present she got from someone a really long time ago, but most people wouldn't doing things in presents that Kisa's done in that bracelet."

"How long has she had it?"

"Since before she moved to Hokkaido. Had to since she was wearing it the first time I ever saw her. It looked old even back then."

"And you don't find that odd?"

Akira threw up a dismissive hand. "Sure I think it's weird, but girls are weird when it comes to their stuff. _Now_ is that it?"

"That's it." Seto answered, even though he was left with more questions than their conversation had started with. But they were questions he knew could only be answered by Kisa.

"Finally!" Akira exclaimed, turning away again and walking to his car. But he stopped with his hand on the driver's side door and faced Seto one last time. "Just know that if I find out you did something to hurt her, you'll have to hire people to guard _you_; cause I'll be out to kill you."

From the look in Akira's eyes, Seto believed him. He watched the other man get into his car and drive away, mind still reeling from the information he had learned. When the car was finally out of sight, Seto reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone to send a text message to Kisa. She would most likely not hear him banging on the door from way in the back section of the warehouse. It would be quicker this way.

_Kisa, I am outside. He has left._

After sending the message, Seto stored the phone back in his pocket and leaned against the side of the warehouse to wait. There were too many questions Seto needed answered. He couldn't move forward without them, even while his chest ached with guilt at all the knowledge he'd gained without Kisa's consent. He had to confront Kisa today, at the risk of ruining the shred of happiness he'd gained only a couple days ago.

The warehouse door creaked open and Seto turned his head to meet Kisa's eyes. They shined with relief and excitement at seeing him standing there. Seto had to remind himself to breath.

"I'm glad you're here." Kisa's voice sounded better, it was not back to normal by any stretch of the imagination, but definitely an improvement from the state it had been in. At least she seemed to be able to speak normally without it causing her physical pain. "Come in. I was about to heat up leftovers from the dinner Rena had cooked me yesterday. I'll heat some for you too."

Seto nodded and followed her inside, all the way to her living quarters. The door to her living room stood open, so Seto went ahead through it and started making his way to the couch, as had become a habit. He was stopped when her arms wrapped loosely around his waist from behind, halting his movement. He craned his neck to look, only to find Kisa burying her face into the fabric of his wool coat.

He felt his pulse quicken and he turned his head forward quickly, hiding the color rising in his cheeks incase Kisa decided to look up. "What are you doing?"

"Its okay, isn't it?" Her voice was muffled by the fabric, "Because we're dating now."

Seto felt his face heat up worse. He hadn't thought about that part; the regular physical contact with someone other than Mokuba. He had not had regular physical contact with anyone other than his little brother since before they were adopted by Gozaburo Kaiba. He found it unnerving at first, but the longer he stood in Kisa's gentle embrace the more he found himself leaning into it as the seconds passed.

"You talked to Akira, didn't you?" Kisa's sudden question after the long comfortable silences made Seto stiffen slightly. She felt it and sighed into his coat. "Do you think I did the right thing?"

Seto let out a heavy breath. She was referring to kicking Akira off the band. There was no way she could know about what Akira had told him. The thought made Seto let out a heavy relieved breath before answering.

"Do you?"

"I don't know. I just got so sick of seeing him glare at you like that all the time. Then there was the fighting…"

Seto turned his head slightly and opened his mouth to interrupt.

"I know you guys hadn't been fighting recently, but if Akira stayed on the band now that we're dating he'd start picking them just to get on your nerves. He's just that petty."

Seto sighed and wrapped his hands gently around Kisa's wrists, pulling her arms from around his waist so he could turn to face her. Kisa looked up at him curiously; nose slightly red from rubbing into the rough material of his coat.

Seto reached up uncertainly and cupped her face in his hands. "If you believe it was the right thing to do, then I'll support your decision."

Kisa smiled, reaching up to pull his hands away. "Thank you." Before Seto could react, she pulled herself up to place a quick kiss on his lips. "I'm gonna go heat dinner up. As always, make yourself comfortable."

She pulled away and hurried off to the kitchen before Seto could think to pull her back. His face burned and his heart throbbed heavily in his chest. Once again his brain had ceased all intelligent thought at the mere touch of her lips on his own. It was a problem he hoped would eventually rectify itself. Now that his brain was working properly again, Seto's thoughts went back to the situation at hand; Kisa and her secrets.

Seto turned to watch her as she moved about the kitchen; setting the oven, pulling dishes out of the cabinets, and taking said dishes to the dining table in order to set it. He supposed there was no better time to confront her. They were alone and, by the looks of it, would be until he decided to go home for the night. Seto shrugged out of his coat and laid it across the back of the couch before making his way over to Kisa.

"We did have an interesting conversation before he left." Seto kept his voice casual.

"Is that so?" Kisa sounded surprised, glancing up as she set two place settings next to each other. "I find that hard to believe. Akira could hardly wait to get out of the room whenever you were around. I can't imagine what the two of you would have to talk about."

"You."

"Me?!" Seto had said it so abruptly that it surprised her, making her drop the fork she had in her hand. "Well," Kisa recovered and quickly put the utensil in its proper place. "If it's the only thing you have in common, I guess that's okay."

"He told me a lot of interesting things." Seto watched her finish setting the table and followed as she headed back into the kitchen.

"Like what?" Kisa went to open the fridge.

Seto stopped her, laying a hand next to her head, flat against the cold steel before she could open it. He kept his stance open so as to allow her to move away if she felt at all threatened. When Kisa turned to face him she stared up at him curiously, back against the fridge.

"What are you doing?" She asked, not sounding at all intimidated.

Seto didn't want to turn back now. He wouldn't; not with all the doubts he had swirling around in his head.

So he spoke carefully. "From day one I've had the feeling that you have been keeping something from me. I ignored it because I wanted to believe that you wouldn't lie to me or keep secrets from me. Then I overheard that conversation you had with Rena the day after you fainted…"

Kisa's eyes widened. "You heard that?!"

"I didn't hear all of it; just enough to understand that you really were keeping something from me. But I didn't press the issue. I wanted to believe that you'd tell me when you were ready, that if it really was important, you would let me know. And now I've had that _enlightening_ conversation with Akira and I can't wait anymore."

Kisa turned her face away, biting her lip nervously. But she said nothing.

Seto placed his other hand on her cheek and gently nudged her face back to look at him. "Kisa, I'm going to ask you some questions and I want you to tell me the truth. No ultimatums, no threats; I promise. I will not go back on my request to have you be mine if you refuse to answer."

She seemed to think it over for a long time, long enough for the oven to finish heating and announce as such with a chime. But Kisa never moved. She stood against the fridge with Seto's hand on her cheek, his eyes boring into hers. He watched her search his face, examine it, though he didn't know what for. Whatever it had been, she must have found it.

Kisa sighed and leaned her full weight against the fridge. "Alright, go ahead."

Seto took his hand away from her face. "First, you're not really from Hokkaido, are you?"

She shook her head.

"Then where?"

She sighed heavily "From a town way up north. It's really small. It's so small that there's only one school house for all the kids in town. I think I remember that my class was shared with a bunch of middle-schoolers. I was six when we moved from there."

"Why did you move? And why is it so important that you hide that you lived there?"

Kisa averted her eyes awkwardly. "I don't exactly remember what happened. Whatever it was was in the papers and it caused my family a lot of trouble. So we moved to Hokkaido where no one knew us. I hide it because I don't want anyone to go looking around where I was born and find out."

Seto narrowed his eyes at her. She was telling the truth, but not the entirety of it. He glanced down at the bracelet around her left wrist. "That has something to do with it, doesn't it? It's why you never take it off."

She moved to toy with the bracelet absentmindedly. "What would make you think that? What if I never take it off because I like it a lot?"

"Kisa," Seto said sternly. "You've had that on your wrist since before you moved to Hokkaido. There _has_ to be a reason for it."

Kisa cut her eyes at him. "Akira really did run his mouth, didn't he?" Seto didn't answer, only watched as she sighed and bowed her head. "It's not something I really want to talk about right now, okay? Please just leave it at that for now."

"Alright," He agreed. "My next question: Do you remember Egypt?"

Kisa's head whipped up. "What?" Realization seemed to dawn in her eyes before Seto could formulate an explanation. She started fidgeting; shuffling her feet, picking at her fingernails. "What are you talking about? I've never been to Egypt?"

"You're a bad liar. The name I called you the day we met; you remember it, don't you? It meant something to you, didn't it?"

She nodded, bowing her head again as she did so. "Say it again."

"Kisara."

He felt and saw her reaction to it this time. There was a tremor through her entire frame and Kisa's eyes closed against it; breathe hitching. It only lasted a few seconds. He wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been in such close proximity.

Seto felt his chest constrict with apprehension. "You know who that is, don't you?" His voice came out much gentler then it had been. He watched her nod and his apprehension was replaced with excitement. "Are you… you're Kisara."

But he watched, disappointed, as Kisa shook her head. "No, I'm sorry."

"But you…"

"Just listen." Kisa looked up, the pleading in her eyes making Seto close his mouth tight. "Yes, I know who she is. Yes, I have her memories from Egypt. I know what happened to her. I know what happened between her and that man that looks like you. I know that I look and sound just like her; but I'm not _her_. It's a lot more complicated than me being a reincarnation like you are."

"I see." Seto couldn't hide his disappointment. He looked down at the floor, trying to process what he'd just learned, trying to understand how it could be possible.

"Seto, can I ask you a question now?"

He looked back up to find her looking at him worriedly. He nodded.

"Did you… did you ask me to date you because you thought I was her? Is she the only reason why you wanted to get close to me?" Kisa's eyes brimmed with sadness, shining with tears that were threatening to gather at the corners of her eyes.

Seto stared at her, dumbfounded, and she gazed right back, waiting for an answer. He straightened his posture, taking his hand from the fridge, not noticing that it was trembling. Instead, he reached out and took her face in his hands once again, dislodging the gathering tears and sending them cascading down her cheeks. Seto's heart wretched at the sight. He didn't need to think to come up with the answer. He'd already questioned and answered himself regarding the exact same thing days ago. He only needed to relay that answer to Kisa.

"I won't lie to you," He said softly, leaning down to rest his forehead on hers. "It was at first. I had been hung up on Kisara ever since those memories came back to me two years ago."

"But?" Kisa asked hopefully.

"But that has changed. Whether you were Kisara or not _you_ became important to me. I grew to care for _you_."

"Seto…"

"The woman I want is _Kisa_."

More tears rolled down Kisa's cheeks, accompanied by the happiest smile Seto had ever seen her give. And he couldn't hold himself back.

He ignited their second kiss, tilting his head in order to capture her lips as he held her face gently between his hands. Kisa wrapped her arms around him, pulling him almost flush against her. It was better than the first time. There was no apprehension. Seto may not have completely known what he was doing, but he'd always been a quick study; quickly finding that tilting his head slightly made the act of kissing far more comfortable, among other things. And Kisa let him lead this time.

When he finally pulled away from her, Seto was satisfied to find her cheeks flushed and her breath uneven. Then she reached her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. Kisa's breath against his neck sent pleasant tingles racing down his spine.

"Thank you," she breathed against the skin of his neck.

Seto smiled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close against him as was possible. Despite her secrets, despite the fact that she wasn't Kisara; Seto had fallen.

He had fallen hard.

***Hey everyone! I know I've been getting these chapters out pretty quick this week, but this will more than likely be the last one for about a week. Finals week is coming up and I've gotta spend all of next week studying. I'll work on what I can while I'm taking my breaks (between studying, sleeping, eating, and working) but I don't wanna promise anything and end up leaving you guys disappointed if I end up not being able to keep it.

One more thing! If I have any artistically inclined fans who have felt inspired to draw some art based on my story(s), please feel free express your inspiration! I don't really have any money for commissions since I'm saving to move into my own place and to get married, so this is clearly on a "if you wanna do it, go ahead" bases. Just make sure you give credit where credit is due. *cough* Me *cough*

I do have a deviantArt account that messages and images can be sent to if anyone does end up doing anything. My username is GesshokuOfTheMoon. I don't really have much on there myself since I have no artistic talent AT ALL (just some old crap I wrote back in high school).

So that's it. I'm going to go to bed now. Love y'all!***


	12. Chapter 12

***Yup! An update before finals week is over! I got off work about... three hours ago (it's 10am) and did some studying. I have been writing some, but it hasn't been my priority this week. Since I'm most of the way through making my study guides, I decided to put up the next chapter before going to sleep for the day. It's a very fuzzy happy chapter.

So, I'm going to bed now. So tired -_- Thanks for hanging in there everyone. Finals week SUCKS BALLS!***

It didn't take long for news of Seto's fall from the top of the _Most Desirable Bachelor's of Domino City List_ to get out. Kisa and he had been caught by paparazzi Halloween night exiting a theater, which Kisa had wanted to go to because it was going to be playing old horror movies all night. The next day the pictures were all over the gossip magazines and tabloids Seto hated so much. But his distaste for them didn't stop him from gazing at the photos after Jounouchi had once again left the magazines on his desk.

The pictures the editor's had run were the ones successfully taken before Kisa and he had realized they were being photographed. Seto had to admit, they looked good together. There was one in particular that he had been tempted to cut out and save; maybe put in his wallet.

They had just exited the theater. Kisa was looking up at him in the midst of an excited conversation about the movie they had just watched. He was looking down at her, smiling, obviously listening intently to her every word. Seto didn't even know he could look that way. Every picture he'd ever seen of himself had always been the same; stiff, straight faced, and cold. This was the first one he'd seen where he looked more like a human and not the robot he often heard people described him as. It was just another positive thing to come out his relationship with Kisa.

Another was the fact that his fans seemed to relax now that he wasn't single anymore. Seto had grown used to the fan mail, more often than not having his secretary deal with it instead of having to read it himself. There were only so many times a man could read the same idiotic ramblings of obsessed women before he felt like torching the paper they were written on. He'd tried to read and respond to the letters himself once; but after the fifteenth letter, with still a large pile left, he'd had enough. He was glad he didn't have to worry about any of that with Kisa.

She had assured him that she was past that stage in her life after he'd told her about the effect their relationship was having on his inbox. That and she had laughed, hard, which made Seto smile and hold her hand at dinner that night. She just seemed to _get it_; the stress, the long hours. Kisa understood whenever a long meeting caused him to cancel a date or when he showed up to her place in not the best of moods. She would just smile and making him a cup of that tea Seto was quickly becoming addicted to. Once she'd even rubbed his shoulders. That had been heaven.

November passed like that; far too quickly for Seto's liking.

It was the last week of November. Mokuba and he were attending Rena's birthday dinner at Kisa's. The two had entered the empty club and made their way to the living space. Seto had opened the door and felt the warm air from inside before he was knocked to the hard concrete floor of the club. He looked up from the floor, at first confused, and then he saw Mokuba. His little brother was almost doubled over with laughter.

Seto glared and sat up, only to find Kisa sitting directly in his lap. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, face flushed; whether from the position or the exertion of throwing him to the ground, he didn't know. The awkward pose made Seto's face heat to a degree it hadn't reached before. He was fairly sure his own face was just as, if not more flushed than hers.

"I wanted to call you as soon as I heard, but I wanted to tell you in person!" She said frantically, gesturing wildly with her hands. "I still can't believe it! I'm so happy I could die!"

Seto stared. He'd never seen her in such an overly excited state before. Kisa was usually calm. Whatever had gotten her so riled up had to be big.

"Good _God_, Kisa!" Rena said from the doorway, clearly having had dealt with this behavior long before Seto's arrival. "Just say it already and get _up_. You're gonna make the poor boy's head explode if it gets any redder."

Seto glared past Kisa's shoulder and up at the other woman. Rena just ignored him, turning away to disappear back into the living space. From the sound of Mokuba's continued laughing, she hadn't been lying about the state of his face. Seto burned with embarrassment, but pushed it aside. Kisa's own face had grown a slightly darker shade after Rena's comment, but she'd chosen to ignore it as well.

"Oh, Seto," Kisa looked as if she was about to cry. "I won… Miku and Rin…" He blinked once, watching as she covered her face with her hands and sat back on his legs. "I did it… we're… gonna be family again…" And she started to sob happily, hiding her tears behind her hands.

Mokuba had quieted. Seto had told him about Kisa's situation, about her sisters and what she had been trying to do. Mokuba looked over at Seto, who didn't need to see the boys face to know what he was thinking. Siblings should stay together… always.

Seto wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her against his chest. Kisa immediately settled there, moving her hands from her face to ball against his thick winter coat as she cried into the fabric. She'd waited all day to tell him this news, to have him there to hold her as she cried out all the stress she'd had bottled up. And Seto would be there just as she had whenever his days had been long or stressful. He let one of his hands slide up to brush through her hair and he felt her relax into the touch.

"You did well, Kisa." He whispered against the side of her head.

She'd needed to hear it. Kisa nodded against his chest, refusing to move even as her tears slowed. "Thank you… thank you… thank you…" She said it over and over.

Seto smiled and held her tighter, closing his eyes as he placed his lips against her hair. If Kisa was happy, than so was he.

He felt Mokuba's smaller hand settle on his shoulder, but Seto didn't look up. It was one of those moments in his life that he would never forget.

xoxoxo

On December first, Seto and Mokuba joined Kisa at the airport to greet her sisters. They waited outside the gate, Kisa unable to stand still. She'd gone to the window as the girls' plane landed, but moved back crestfallen when she remembered that they had to wait and get off the plane last because they were underage. She fidgeted as they watched the passengers file out; pacing impatiently, wringing her hands.

Mokuba and Seto had looked at each other long enough for the younger to give Seto a stern look and jerk his head in Kisa's direction. Seto resisted the temptation to roll his eyes at him. He didn't need to be told what to do, he was about to do it anyway. Seto walked up to Kisa and stopped her pacing by gently grabbing her wrist. She turned to him, looking anxious, but her face relaxed at the concern on his.

"I'm okay." She said and let Seto take both her hands into his own.

"You're worrying yourself over nothing, you know that."

"I do! I just…" Kisa looked down. "What if I was wrong?"

Seto squeezed her hands. "You were not wrong."

She looked back up, his words calming her even if she still sounded unconvinced. "How can you be so sure?"

He glanced over at Mokuba, who stood a few feet away, "Because I know younger siblings. When they have no one else, they want _you_."

Kisa nodded and finally smiled up at him. "You're right. Sorry if I was being…"

"KISA!"

"Big sis!"

Kisa was stopped mid-sentence by the voices calling out to her. Seto thought for a moment that she was going to faint, until she turned back to the gate.

The two were running at her from where they had entered into the airport. They were much older than the picture Seto had seen. Miku, the tallest and Mokuba's age, was a head shorter than Kisa but had her hair cut short much like her older sibling. Rin was much shorter than that, with long hair that had been pulled back into pigtails hanging from the back of her head. They collided into their older sister, carry-on bags flying out of their arms to land haphazardly around them on the floor. Seto had barely enough time to brace Kisa under her arms to stop her from falling. Kisa leaned against him, holding the two girls in her arms in a tight hug.

"Miku… Rin…" She stepped back; forcing Seto to step away, and held the two girls at arm's length. "Let me look at you." Miku looked more like her sister than anyone else, except for the eyes. Rin looked as if she was heading in the same direction; her face still plump and baby like. "Oh girl's, you have no idea how happy I am."

"Of course we do." Miku grinned.

"Kisa, Kisa!" Rin hopped up and down on the balls of her feet. "Guess what, guess what!" She didn't give her time to answer. "Me and Miku made this biiiig list of everything we like to eat!"

Kisa's face had flooded with apprehension, but her other sister interrupted before she could object. "And we know how you suck at cooking, so we'll help you until you know how to make everything right."

"I don't know…" Kisa glance over her shoulder at Seto, who decided to be no help by shrugging his shoulders.

"Pleeeease?!" Rin begged.

From the look on Kisa's face, she was starting to wonder what she'd gotten herself into. But, like Seto, was unable to deny her younger sisters of anything. "…Okay… I guess."

"Yay!" Rin threw her arms around her Kisa's middle, hugging tight. "I missed my big sister!"

Miku followed suit. "I missed you too. Let's not ever be apart that long again, kay?"

Seto saw the tears well up in Kisa's eyes as she wrapped her arms back around the two girls. "We'll never be apart again. I promise."

Seto was content to stand there and watch them, feeling warm inside at the thought that _he_ had helped bring them back together. It was a very picturesque moment. Many bystanders had stopped to watch the exchange. A few clapped, others walked away with larges smiles at having been able to witness such a touching moment. Kisa and her little sisters stood there for many more long moments, not caring that luggage was scattered about the floor or that they had an audience. They chatted excitedly as they embraced, catching quickly up on the many years that they had missed together.

"Seto…" Mokuba hissed his name.

He turned to his little brother and raised a brow at him. Hadn't he been standing closer a second ago? "What's the matter?" The teen frantically waved him over and this time Seto did roll his eyes. "What?"

"Um… well…" Mokuba was the one fidgeting now, throwing nervous glances over at the three girls before looking up at Seto. "Miku's really… cute… yeah?"

Seto had the sudden urge to laugh. This was going to be interesting.


	13. Chapter 13

***Hey everyone! It's a small update tonight. My classes finished up today (5/5), so I'll have more time to write. However... I'm moving into my apartment on Wednesday, so I won't _actually_ be able to post anything that I'm writing until I'm able to either get my internet set up or get somewhere with internet. Just hang in there.

I have regained interest in the project I _really_ want to work on. It's an original novella that I plan to start posting on FictionPress at some point. When that will be, I'm not sure. I have a summary finished (like what would go on the back of a book) and I'm tempted to put it up and see what kind of response I get. I just don't want anyone to take my idea. It's something I would really want to get published some day. If you're interested in see what it is, my account name on FictionPress is Gesshoku.

Thanks for hanging in there!***

It didn't take long for Miku and Rin to settle into their new home. Seto had visited the next week, wanting to give the three time to get used to living together some before he included himself in their lives. Kisa was glad to see him. They had only held phone conversations since he'd dropped them off from the airport. Kisa had been insistent that he didn't have to make himself scarce, but he wanted to give the three the time to themselves. She went up to him immediately after he'd entered the room and held him, pulling his head down to lay a kiss on his lips.

Seto decided then that a week was far too long. He'd never convince himself that he had to stay away for any amount of time again. He was about to lay his hands on Kisa's waist when he heard excited giggling from the direction of the dining room table. He looked up at find that he was being stared at by two giggling girls. He sighed and resigned to putting his hands on her shoulders instead.

Right… girls; little girls were different than boys.

"I missed you," Kisa gazed up at him, smiling.

Seto's face warmed slightly, "Yeah, you too."

"Kisa! Hurry up, it's your turn!" Miku yelled from her seat at the table.

Kisa scowled, "Excuse me, I have to go finish getting my ass beat."

She moved away before Seto could question her statement and watched her sit across the table from Miku. He raised a brow and followed to stand behind her seat. Laid out on the table was the usual set up for a Duel Monsters match; Kisa on one side, Miku on the other. Next to the spread of cards was a sheaf of paper with a life point count being recorded on it. From Kisa's statement, he could guess that the row of quickly depleted numbers belonged to her.

"You never told me you played." Seto stated, staring at the back of Kisa's head in disbelief.

"I don't…" Kisa grumbled, staring down at her meager hand of cards.

"Kisa used to play when she was in school." Rin said, watching the game eagerly.

"Yeah, but she sucks now!" Miku laughed. "All her cards are really _old_."

Kisa glared up at the girl across from her. "Don't make me ground you. And they're not _old_; there's a difference between _old_ and _classic_."

Seto ignored the banter and inspected Kisa's hand. There wasn't much promise with the cards she already had on the field, the weak wall monster she'd set in place wouldn't last long against what her little sister had managed to summon. It didn't help that Kisa's cards seemed to be quite a few generations behind. They had the wear and tear of cards that had once been used regularly, but the pallor of those who has been stored away for a long period of time.

He leaned over her shoulder to pull a particular card out of her hand. Seto felt Kisa shiver at his close proximity. He looked at her to find her face red. She met his eyes and smiled.

"This one," Seto said softly into her ear, holding the card up for her to see.

Kisa barely looked at it as she reached to take it from him.

"No fair!" Miku exclaimed. "Mr. Kaiba coaching you is cheating!"

Seto turned his face to the girl and smirked. "I'm not _coaching_. I'm teaching."

"That's the same thing!" Miku raged through the blush on her face. "I can't win if _you're_ coaching!"

He'd opened his mouth to respond, only to have his voice die in his throat. Kisa had leaned over and pressed her lips against the skin behind his ear. The contact sent pleasant tingles racing down his spine all the way to his toes and made his breath come a little faster. How could such a simple touch at such an odd location make him feel so…

"Sis!" Rin's hands flew up to cover her eyes. "Stop! That's gross!"

As Kisa pulled away, Seto turned and looked at her, bewildered. She winked at him. "If it'll be you coaching me then I guess I wouldn't mind relearning how to play."

Seto cleared his throat awkwardly as he straightened himself. He moved away from the table and towards the couch, shrugging his coat off as he went. He doubted any real teaching would get done if he was left alone with her for too long. Kisa had turned back to her sisters and continued playing, using the card Seto had instructing her to. It didn't stop her from losing, but the whole exchange had left him with more thoughts he'd have to take colds showers for.

***Oh, one more thing! I had a comment from a Guest reader regarding Akira's status in regards to his relationship to Kisa and his placement as a villain. I haven't exactly stated who the villain is in this story... if there even is one. Someone who has good intentions who causes a lot of drama, maybe, but perhaps not an actual _villain_ as Yu-Gi-Oh villains are usually defined. Even as I write that I'm thinking waaaay back to Pegasus, who only wanted to bring his dead wife back to life... but that's besides the point.

I will only say that our "villain" (if that's what you want to call it) has been mentioned earlier on in the story. If I say anything else I'll be spoiling my own story and I don't want to do that. Take that how you want to. Thanks again!***


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